LOS ANGELES -- The visitors’ clubhouse staff worked like a pit crew on Sunday morning, swiftly emptying out one locker and preparing two more as the Cubs’ bullpen churn continued. The speed at which the lockers were rotated was fitting given the rapid pace of the injuries that had hit the roster.
The latest blow to the Cubs’ bullpen was the news that rookie lefty Riley Martin -- a key contributor amid the pile of lost leverage arms -- landed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Friday) due to left elbow inflammation. Martin is on his way back to Chicago for further testing, and the team should have more information in the coming days.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the issue first flared during Martin’s outing against the Phillies on Thursday at Wrigley Field.
“Look, we went out to the mound the other day,” Counsell said on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. “There was stuff we were seeing on the mound. Didn’t get anything from him, but obviously he didn’t recover after that outing, so we have to make sure we know what’s going on.”
In that Thursday appearance, Martin took over in the ninth inning after veteran lefty Caleb Thielbar exited unexpectedly due to a left hamstring strain. Thielbar hit the 15-day IL on Friday, removing yet another crucial piece to the core group of arms Counsell and the Cubs were counting on for the later innings.
Right now, the IL also includes closer Daniel Palencia (left lat), righty Phil Maton (right knee), righty Hunter Harvey (right triceps), righty Ethan Roberts (right middle finger) and righty Porter Hodge (season-ending right elbow surgery).
With Martin (2.16 ERA in eight appearances) put on the shelf, the Cubs recalled lefty Charlie Barnes from Triple-A Iowa. The North Siders also selected the contract of right-hander Yacksel Ríos and designated righty Vince Velasquez for assignment. The last few weeks have featured move after move in an effort to fill holes in the bullpen.
Through all the movement, the Cubs compiled a 10-game winning streak that ended on Saturday night.
“Certainly, this hasn’t been a smooth road so far,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said on Saturday. “There’s definitely been some hard conversations trying to figure out the 40-man [roster], trying to figure out who the next guy up is. We don’t usually have those conversations during a winning streak. That part is unusual.
“We’re playing very well, but at the same time, we’re also dealing with a real challenge from a bullpen standpoint. I’ll give guys credit. We’ve had a lot of unexpected performances out of guys that have really helped, but we do need to stabilize and get healthy.”
There could be more help coming in the near future.
Maton is back with the Cubs after a Minor League rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa and is on target to be activated during the next series in San Diego. Palencia threw off a mound Saturday and has another bullpen session planned for Tuesday. Roberts is with Iowa for a rehab stint at the moment and Harvey recently resumed throwing.
In the meantime, Counsell will continue to pull the levers he has available.
“The next guy’s got to do his job,” said the manager. “That’s kind of where we’re at with this. We’ve had a number of guys get opportunities. We’ve got guys coming back soon, so that’s a good thing. But again, the injuries, they have an effect eventually, right?”