Cubs optimistic Daniel Palencia facing 3 week absence

Chicago Cubs optimistic that Daniel Palencia will only miss three weeks of game action

As outlined by Mooney, the Cubs are hopeful that Palencia will resume throwing before the team heads out West. Following their series against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 23, Chicago travels to face the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. That timeline suggests Palencia could be throwing again within days, just over a week removed from his retroactive IL date.

The Cubs also believe Palencia could be activated within the next two weeks. An early May return would line him up to rejoin the team during their next homestand, potentially during a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, and limit his absence to roughly three weeks, an impressively short turnaround for a pitcher dealing with a soft-tissue injury.

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Ultimately, while Chicago can be encouraged by how quickly Palencia is progressing, the bigger hope is that this short absence doesn’t linger beyond the immediate timeline. Soft-tissue injuries, especially for pitchers, have a tendency to resurface if not fully healed, so ensuring he’s truly ready before returning will be key. If handled properly, this could end up being nothing more than a brief interruption rather than something that impacts him deeper into the season.