The Chicago Cubs' pitching staff has faced a brutal onslaught of injuries this season, leaving their rotation in tatters. Losing Edward Cabrera to a hamstring injury on Tuesday and Ben Brown to a neck injury the following morning was a one-two punch that has left fans shaking their heads. Add to that the announcement from Jed Hoyer that Justin Steele won't be an option for the rotation this season, and the current injuries to Cade Horton and Jameson Taillon, and it's clear the Cubs are in a pitching predicament.
Despite these setbacks, the Cubs are still in the mix, sitting seven games behind the division leader and tied with the Cardinals for second place and the final Wild Card spot. But with a rotation that's been whittled down to Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, and Javier Assad-who are the only active pitchers with multiple starts this season-it's clear that reinforcements are needed.
In response, the Cubs have been proactive. They've brought in LHP David Peterson from the Mets and signed veteran LHP Drew Pomeranz to a minor-league deal. While Pomeranz is expected to bolster the bullpen, Peterson will be thrust into a starting role, tasked with eating up innings as the Cubs scramble to maintain a five-man rotation.
Peterson is an intriguing acquisition, especially given his underlying stats that suggest he could thrive in front of the Cubs' highly-rated defense. He represents the type of player the Cubs should be eyeing in the short term as they navigate this injury-laden landscape.
Looking further afield, there are a few more pitchers who could fit the Cubs' needs. One such name is Holmes, who has been stellar this year when healthy, boasting a 2.39 ERA and a 56% ground ball rate over 52.2 innings. However, he's currently sidelined with a fractured fibula, and while he might start throwing again by late July, his health remains a gamble.
Then there's Walker Buehler, who's been quietly impressive for the Padres. With a season ERA of 3.96 and a recent hot streak that includes a 2.05 ERA over his last five starts, Buehler is showing signs of a career resurgence.
His 3.28 FIP suggests he could be even more effective with the Cubs' defense backing him up. However, the Padres, just a game behind the Cubs in the Wild Card race, might be reluctant to part ways with him unless their standings take a turn for the worse.
Finally, we have Kolek from the Royals. After a solid 2025, he's had a mixed start to 2026, with a current ERA of 4.15.
His ground-ball rate has dipped, and home runs have been an issue, but his ability to limit walks and provide consistent innings makes him a viable option. With the Royals struggling this season, they might be open to dealing Kolek, especially in a year where starting pitching is at a premium.
As the Cubs look to bolster their rotation amid a sea of injuries, these potential acquisitions could provide the depth and stability needed to make a strong push in the standings. The trade deadline looms, and the Cubs' front office will be busy exploring every avenue to keep their playoff hopes alive.
In Other News...
Padres Suddenly Have A Bigger Randy Vasquez Problem Than One Loss
The Padres did not just drop the second game of their series against the Dodgers, they watched a promising night spiral into a 15-3 loss when Randy Vasquez was hit hard in the sixth inning. What had been a manageable game quickly got away, and the right-hander ended up taking most of the damage as Los Angeles piled on and turned the matchup into a rout.
Vasquez pointed to his pitch location as the problem afterward, a frustrating answer for a pitcher trying to stabilize his place in the staff. He is still lined up to start the next game in the series, but after an outing like this, the scrutiny around every inning he works is going to get a lot sharper. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Cronenworth Just Made The Padres Infield Question More Urgent
Jake Cronenworths road back to the Padres started in encouraging fashion at Triple-A El Paso, where his rehab assignment opened with a home run in his first at-bat and a seven-inning stint at second base. It was the kind of first step San Diego wanted to see after clearing him medically, even if the club is clearly more interested in how he looks over a stretch of games than in one loud debut.
The bigger question is whether Cronenworth can use this assignment to show hes ready for everyday major league work again and leave behind the struggles that had already made his return a delicate call. San Diegos infield picture has been in flux, and his readiness matters not just for the lineup, but for how the club handles the middle infield and the players who have been waiting on the other side of this opening. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Need Their Ace To Answer In Season-Shaping Dodgers Finale
The Padres spent Saturday night getting buried by a Dodgers lineup that turned one inning into a rout, with nine runs coming across in the sixth on the way to a 15-3 loss. It was the kind of game that left little for San Diego to hang onto, as all five Padres pitchers were tagged for at least one run while Los Angeles starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto handled the other side of the matchup cleanly enough to keep the pressure on.
Now the focus shifts to the series finale, where Michael King gets the ball for San Diego opposite Emmet Sheehan. The Padres need King to steady a staff that was pushed around badly in the opener, but there is at least some reason for optimism after his recent rebound against Atlanta, when he delivered seven shutout innings and looked more like the top-of-the-rotation arm San Diego has been counting on. [Read more 🡒]