The Brewers are back on top of the NL Central, and that leaves the Cubs staring at the same uncomfortable reality they’ve been trying to outrun. Milwaukee’s latest division title shifts Chicago’s focus away from the race it wanted to win and onto the one it still has to finish.
For the Cubs, this season was supposed to be different after an aggressive offseason that brought in Edwin Cabrera and Alex Bregman. Instead, the Brewers again proved they’re the class of the division. That puts the Cubs right back at the same question they still haven’t answered: how do they catch Milwaukee?
Health is part of the explanation, even if it doesn’t make the problem go away. Cade Horton has been out since April, and it’s still unclear whether Justin Steele will pitch for the big-league club before October.
The Cubs also didn’t get much impact from Cabrera this season. But being without Steele and Horton for most of the past two years was never going to set Chicago up to jump past the Brewers.
Even with that in mind, the Cubs can’t let the expected returns of Steele and Horton become a reason to ease up this winter. They’ll be hunting for another top-of-the-rotation arm, and last offseason showed how far they were willing to go - or, more accurately, how far they weren’t. Chicago backed out of the Dylan Cease chase once the price climbed to $200 million.
That’s the next hurdle for this front office: getting uncomfortable enough to land an established ace. The catch this winter is that, outside of Tarik Skubal, the market may not offer one.
So while the division race has gone Milwaukee’s way, the Cubs still have work left in front of them. Their season may be a failure in the chase for the NL Central, but they’re still in position to reach the playoffs.
And now the immediate task is simple enough. Entering Wednesday, the Cubs’ magic number to clinch a wild-card berth was six. They held a half-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot, sat 1.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres, and watched the Arizona Diamondbacks fall 2.5 games behind the Padres for the final National League playoff spot.
In Other News...
Cubs Just Lost A Bullpen Option At The Worst Time
Shelby Millers comeback was always going to be measured more in caution than urgency, and the Cubs are taking that approach to its end. Manager Craig Counsell said the club has shut Miller down for the rest of the 2026 season while he finishes his rehab from UCL/flexor surgery that was performed last fall, a move that closes the book on any late-year bullpen help from a pitcher the team had been watching closely.
There had been some encouraging signs during his rehab assignment at Triple-A, but Chicago opted not to push it given Millers injury history. The expectation now is that hell be ready for Spring Training 2027, leaving the Cubs to wait another year to see whether he can factor into their bullpen plans the way they hoped. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Suddenly Have A Bullpen Problem At The Worst Time
The Cubs had the kind of night that can rattle a team in September, building a 3-0 lead before watching it slip away in a 6-3 loss to the Braves. Chicago still occupies first place in the NL Wild Card race with just ten games left, so the standings cushion is real enough, but games like this are a reminder of how quickly a late lead can vanish once the bullpen gets involved.
Jacob Webb was hit hard in relief, surrendering the go-ahead two-run homer that flipped the game, and Edward Cabreras first appearance out of the bullpen only added to the mess with two insurance runs allowed. For a club trying to bank wins and keep some separation in a crowded playoff chase, the timing could hardly be worse, because one shaky inning can change the tone of a stretch run in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Jameson Taillons Latest Elbow Setback Just Raised A Bigger Question
Jameson Taillons latest elbow issue has only added another layer to a season already defined by uncertainty, and it comes with a larger long-term wrinkle for the Cubs and anyone tracking his career. After being placed on the injured list with elbow inflammation, the veteran right-hander said he will not return in 2026, and he is set to seek another medical opinion from Dr. Keith Meister as he looks for clarity on what comes next.
For Chicago, Taillons situation lands as a reminder of how quickly a rotation plan can unravel, especially for a pitcher who never quite found consistent footing this year. He was traded from the Cubs to the Blue Jays during the season, but the combination of injuries and shaky performance, including a high home run rate, has left a much bigger question hanging over his immediate future. [Read more 🡒]