Chicago Cubs Closer Shelved with Shoulder Injury

The Chicago Cubs will be without Closer Daniel Palencia for at least two weeks with a shoulder injury. The team placed Palencia on the 15-day injured list after he left Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals. Palencia has been the Cubs’ closer since the middle of May. After getting out to a great start in the role, Palencia has struggled in his recent outings. With this break in action for Palencia, the team is hoping that when he comes back, he can get back to his midseason form and be a reliable closer in October.

With a few weeks to go until the postseason, Craig Counsell will have to find someone to fill Palencia’s role and hope that he can make a speedy recovery before the end of the regular season. Former Closer Porter Hodge could step up to fill in for Palencia, but early indications are that the team will rely on Brad Keller to close ball games for the next two weeks. To take Palencia’s spot on the active roster, Chicago is calling up Ethan Roberts to the major league squad.

Chicago Cubs Placing Daniel Palencia On IL

The Chicago Cubs are taking a major hit to their bullpen as the postseason fast approaches. After leaving Sunday afternoon’s contest against the Washington Nationals with an apparent injury, the Cubs made it official on Monday and placed Palencia on the 15-day IL. Palencia knew he was hurt and showed obvious frustration as he exited the mound, seeming to know that he was headed to the shelf.

Palencia is going to be out with a right shoulder injury. Counsell said that the official diagnosis is a shoulder strain. Palencia is on the 15-day IL but could miss more time, and the injury threatens to keep him out up to and maybe including the postseason. Without Palencia, the Chicago Cubs need to find a new closer. They’re hoping they will only need to fill that role for the rest of the regular season and that Palencia can reassume the closer role for Chicago’s playoff run.

Palencia took over the role as closer for the Chicago Cubs in the middle of May this season. He started on fire, converting 15 of his first 16 save opportunities and 22 of 25 overall. Up until his Sunday appearance, Palencia had a season ERA of 2.12. For the season, Palencia is 1-6 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 51 innings of work across 52 appearances, with 22 saves and six holds. Missing his production throws a huge wrench in the Cubs’ plans for the rest of 2025.

Making Do Without Palencia

With the details of Palencia’s injury, the Chicago Cubs’ hard-throwing right-hander is expected to be out longer than the 15-day IL stint dictates. Whether he can make it back on time or the injury’s severity keeps Palencia out for the rest of the season and into the postseason, the Cubs are going to need someone to step up and be the closer. With Palencia heading to the IL, a spot opened up on the active roster for Roberts, but he isn’t expected to be the closer.

Indications are that Keller will be elevated to the closing role for the time being, but Hodge has closing experience on the roster and opened the season as the team’s closer. Keller was brought in on a minor league deal in the offseason and was expected to work long relief at most, providing depth in the organization. He has had a great 2025, steadily working up to late-inning relief situations. This year, he is 4-1 with a 2.17 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 62.1 innings of work across 60 appearances.

Hodge struggled early in the season and was removed from the closer’s role. An oblique injury sent him to the injured list, and after making a full recovery, he continued to struggle in set-up situations and was sent to AAA. Hodge could be ready to step up for Palencia for the final stretch of the regular season. In four appearances since making it back to the Chicago Cubs, Hodge has worked four innings and allowed one run, two hits, and three walks while striking out six. For the season, he is 2-1 with a 6.18 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 27.2 innings across 30 appearances with two saves and six holds.

Looking Ahead

Palencia’s success was a huge development for the Chicago Cubs this season. After Hodge struggled to open up the season and Ryan Pressly couldn’t get back to his Houston Astros form, the Cubs were in desperate need of a closer. The second-year reliever skyrocketed and solved a nagging problem the Chicago Cubs had been dealing with for years. The hope now is that Palencia can recover by the end of the regular season and, at the very least, be ready for the postseason.