The Cubs are turning to a familiar left arm as they try to patch together a bullpen hit hard by injuries. After Jordan Wicks was optioned back to Triple-A following his three-inning save in Wednesday’s 23-3 rout of the San Diego Padres, Chicago added veteran reliever Drew Pomeranz to the active roster.
Pomeranz, 37, was one of the surprises of the Cubs’ 2025 season. Acquired in a small April trade with the Seattle Mariners, he started out in low-leverage spots before working his way into Craig Counsell’s circle of trust. By the end of the year, he had become a key late-inning option.
In his first MLB season since 2021, Pomeranz put up a 2.17 ERA across 49.2 innings. He struck out hitters at a 28.1 percent clip and ranked third on the club with 14 holds. He also delivered in October, appearing in six playoff games and allowing just one hit in six innings, with the lone blemish being a solo home run in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Chicago let him walk in free agency, and Pomeranz signed with the Los Angeles Angels for $4 million. That move didn’t work out for long.
He was released on June 18 after posting a 5.01 ERA in 23.1 innings. The Cubs then brought him back on a minor league deal and officially assigned him to Iowa over the weekend before calling him up now.
At Triple-A, Pomeranz has made two appearances and thrown 2 innings, allowing no runs on one hit with one walk and three strikeouts.
The numbers with the Angels weren’t as sharp - the walks climbed and the strikeouts dipped - but his velocity stayed in line with what he showed in 2025. That at least suggests the Cubs aren’t dealing with a physical issue, and it leaves open the possibility they can get him back to being the same effective reliever they had last season.
Chicago needs the help. Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, and Hoby Milner are all on the injured list, and all four were on the Opening Day roster. After a rough run of injury luck in 2026, the Cubs are hoping this latest move gives their pitching staff a little relief.
In Other News...
Dansby Swansons Sudden Turnaround Has Cubs Fans Breathing Again
Dansby Swansons bat has finally started to look like the one the Cubs expected when they brought him in, and the change has come fast enough to feel a little jarring. After spending much of the spring buried in a slump, he has suddenly been driving the ball again, stacking up home runs and RBIs in recent games and giving Chicago a much-needed jolt from the middle of the lineup.
Swanson has pointed to a mental reset in early June as part of the turnaround, along with work with assistant coach John Mallee, and the results have been loud enough to put him in some rare Cubs company. His recent power burst has him mentioned alongside a short list of names from franchise history, which is a reminder of how quickly a rough stretch can flip when a veteran hitter finds his timing again. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Suddenly Have A Prospect Bat Fans Have Been Waiting For
Josiah Hartshorn has gone from a name tucked deep in the Cubs farm system to one of the organizations most interesting young bats. The 19-year-old switch-hitting outfielder has climbed quickly in prospect circles, with Baseball America pushing him up to No. 29 on its Top 100 leaderboard after a strong start to the season in Single-A and an even louder showing once he reached High-A.
Hartshorn opened the year with a .884 OPS before the promotion, then kept forcing the issue in South Bend with a .953 OPS and more power than evaluators were expecting this soon. The rising profile has already earned him a spot in the 2026 Futures Game at All-Star Weekend, and for the Cubs, the bigger question now is how far this bat can keep carrying as the competition keeps getting tougher. [Read more 🡒]