Caleb Thielbar’s Struggles on the Mound
Chicago Cubs’ reliever Caleb Thielbar maintains his humor despite facing challenges. Thielbar entered a series against the Washington Nationals without a walk in his last 15 appearances, a streak starting June 29. He joked about this before the series began. While avoiding walks, his recent performance has been below expectations, with a 7.30 ERA over those games, allowing ten runs on 18 hits, including five home runs.
Surprisingly, his underlying metrics have remained similar to his successful 2025 season. Thielbar still manages strikeouts, recording 15 in 12 1/3 innings. His fastball velocity increased by 0.5 mph from last year. This suggests a stronger performance should accompany his strikeout-to-walk ratio.
“I’m honestly trying not to dive into it,” he shared with the Tribune. “I know strikeout and walk rates correlate with success, but it’s not happening now. I’m trying to hang on until it turns around without losing my mind.”
Thielbar’s luck seems worse this year. His Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) stands at .314, up from .226 in 2025. High hard-hit rates at 40.6% add to his woes, though Friday’s outing showed improvement by allowing no hard-hit balls.
The Cubs’ Challenge with Thielbar’s Performance
The Cubs struggle with Thielbar’s performance, needing a version closer to last year’s reliable pitcher. Home runs are a particular issue, as he has allowed a career-high ten this season in 35 2/3 innings. Most damage has come from his fastball and slider.
Manager Craig Counsell analyzed Thielbar’s performance, saying, “It’s harder to pinpoint causes when numbers like strikeouts and pitch shapes remain unchanged. We’re now exploring whether our pitch calling, sequencing, or command needs adjustment.”
“We’ll still rely on Caleb for big outs. He remains our best matchup in certain situations,” Counsell added.
Phil Maton’s Uncertain Return
Veteran reliever Phil Maton hopes to pitch this season despite a partially torn patellar tendon. Maton, dealing with knee issues labeled tendonitis, faces doubts about returning. Since no acute injury started the issue, he regrets not imaging his knee after the 2025 season.
During the offseason, no red flags emerged for Maton, yet the knee problem resurfaced two weeks into spring training. After a platelet-rich plasma injection on July 21, Maton still awaits to decide on his return attempt.
By late August, Maton and the Cubs must decide whether to push for a return. It’s unclear if an offseason procedure will be necessary.
Braxton Garrett Embraces New Role
Braxton Garrett, now with the Cubs, previously spent his entire career with the Miami Marlins. Acquired on August 3, Garrett feels positive about the change. He appreciated hearing Cubs’ president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer was interested in him for years.
Garrett missed 2025 due to his second Tommy John surgery and initially struggled in 2026. He has since regained command, targeting contact over strikeouts.
Counsell sees Garrett as pitching insurance for now. While he’s not expected to play a major role in the season’s closing months, the Cubs view him as an essential player next year.
“We believe he’s in a good spot. Garrett pitched well in Triple A this year, and there’s optimism for his future with the team,” Counsell remarked.