The Cubs are shutting Shelby Miller down for the rest of the 2026 season, with Craig Counsell telling reporters before tonight’s loss to Atlanta that the veteran reliever won’t pitch again this year. Miller is expected to go through a normal offseason and be ready for Spring Training 2027.
This was always supposed to be a rehab year for Miller, who is working his way back from last fall’s UCL/flexor surgery, the procedure he had while with the Brewers. Chicago signed him to a two-year free-agent deal expecting that he’d spend the first season recovering, and that’s how it played out. At one point, though, he was moving ahead of schedule and had a shot to fight for a place on the playoff roster.
Counsell said Miller didn’t hit any setbacks. The decision, he explained, was more about caution, especially given Miller’s injury history.
This is his second elbow ligament repair, after the full Tommy John reconstruction he had in 2017. He’s only 11 months removed from the latest surgery.
Miller was far enough along to begin a rehab assignment, but the results at Triple-A Iowa showed the usual rust that comes with a long layoff. In 9 2/3 innings, he walked nine of the 47 hitters he faced.
He also struck out 15 and was sitting at almost 96 mph with the fastball, so the raw stuff still looked good. The command, though, wasn’t where it needed to be, and that likely made it hard for the Cubs to picture him in a postseason game.
Even without Miller in the mix, the timing matters for a Cubs team trying to lock down a Wild Card spot. The bullpen’s late-inning group has been a problem for the past month, and the names tell the story.
Daniel Palencia hasn’t looked like himself since returning from a two-month absence because of elbow inflammation. Jacob Webb, who was excellent for much of the summer, surrendered another go-ahead homer to Ozzie Albies tonight - his fourth allowed in his last eight appearances.
Edward Cabrera also gave up a home run in his first relief outing in the middle of an injury-hit season.
Right now, Ryan Zeferjahn and Ryan Rolison are the top leverage options. Aaron Civale and Colin Rea have delivered solid work in long relief and could end up with bigger assignments.
Palencia has mostly been used in mop-up spots lately, but he still has a couple weeks to get back into Counsell’s trust. Justin Steele is also rehabbing from elbow surgery and could become a factor if the Cubs use him in a short-relief role.
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Cubs Suddenly Have A Bullpen Problem At The Worst Time
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Cubs Face One Urgent Goal As Rotation Questions Loom Again
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Chicago still has a path to October, though, and it is a more immediate one now. The Cubs remain in the wild-card race with a magic number of six to clinch a playoff berth, which gives the rest of the season a clear urgency even as the rotation questions linger and the division race slips out of reach. [Read more 🡒]