Cubs’ Happ activated, Hodge goes on injured list
The Cubs placed right-handed reliever Porter Hodge on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain, retroactive to May 18. In his place, the team recalled right-handed reliever Ethan Roberts. The Cubs also announced that left fielder Ian Happ (oblique) has been activated from the 10-day IL, and Moisés Ballesteros has been optioned back to Triple-A Iowa.
The first inkling of an issue with Hodge occurred Monday night when manager Craig Counsell called upon reliever Daniel Palencia instead of Hodge to hold a one-run lead in the ninth against the Miami Marlins. The Cubs don’t have a set closer at the moment after Ryan Pressly (5.71 ERA) looked shaky in the role and eventually moved down the pecking order after a historically bad outing against the San Francisco Giants two weeks ago.
Palencia seemed to be cruising to his second-career save, as the hard-throwing righty retired the first two batters with ease and then got ahead of Derek Hill 0-2. He then hung a slider that Hill ripped for a double. Palencia then issued a four-pitch walk before allowing a walk-off triple to Jesús Sánchez as the Cubs fell 8-7.
Hodge would have been the logical choice to close out that game, but he was unavailable due to the oblique issue. Hodge emerged as a high-leverage option last season when he posted a 1.88 ERA with a 31.7% strikeout rate and amassed nine saves.
This season, his ERA has ballooned to 5.12, but that’s largely due to two poor outings out of 21 appearances. However, Hodge’s strikeout rate has dipped to 22.6%. Still, he was a key part of the bullpen, and his getting right, which he appeared on the verge of doing with two strong outings over the weekend, was important for the group.
The loss of Hodge is another blow to a club that is starting to see injuries pile up. Happ returning from an oblique strain after a minimum stint is a win. But Javier Assad is on the 60-day IL after a setback from his initial injury in spring training. Counsell told reporters in Miami that Shota Imanaga is still weeks away from a return after straining his left hamstring over two weeks ago. He is expected to start throwing off a mound later this week.
Pressly was added via an offseason trade, with the hope that the veteran reliever would provide some stability to the back end of games. But his struggles have opened the door for others to get high-leverage opportunities.
The Cubs have had multiple relievers surprise early this season, including Palencia, who, despite Monday’s rocky outing, still has a 2.30 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 15 2/3 innings. Drew Pomeranz, acquired in a minor trade with the Seattle Mariners earlier this season, has not allowed a run in 10 1/3 innings while striking out 28.9% of batters he’s faced and walking just 5.3%.
Meanwhile, Brad Keller, a non-roster invitee to spring training, has been the biggest revelation, looking like one of the most impactful arms in the bullpen. Keller has regularly touched the upper-90s with his fastball and has a swing-and-miss slider as well. He has a strikeout rate of 27%, walk rate of 7.9%, ground-ball rate of 62.5% and generally does everything well required of a pitcher.
Counsell has leaned on Keller in all sorts of situations so far this season, and the pitcher has thrived. But currently, he may be the best option to close out games. Keller likely wasn’t available Monday after working both Saturday and Sunday in wins over the White Sox.
Who will close and who can shift into Hodge’s role in high-leverage moments will be key as the first-place Cubs try to stay atop their division. Adding depth, at minimum, at the trade deadline is almost a certainty for a team that knows the postseason is a must this year. What type of arm and how impactful that pitcher will be is the only question.
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