CHICAGO -- Phil Maton took the mound on Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field as a rainstorm was arriving on the North Side. It was an important pregame workout in the Cubs reliever’s comeback from a right knee issue, and Maton was able to finish the throwing session just in time.
“We beat it by about 30 seconds,” Maton said. “Everything felt good. I felt like we checked the box. The knee feels really good right now.”
Maton has been on the 15-day injured list since April 10 due to right knee tendinitis -- a setback that contributed to a noticeable drop in pitch velocity. After an encouraging bullpen session on Saturday, Maton faced hitters in Tuesday’s live batting practice workout and came away optimistic about returning soon.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell noted that the team will monitor Maton into Wednesday before determining the next step, which will likely be either another live BP session or coming off the IL. For his part, Maton said he felt “ready to face Major League hitters” after how things went on Tuesday.
“We’re going to talk it over,” Counsell said. “There were definitely some good signs.”
The Cubs signed Maton to a two-year, $14.5 million contract (plus a club option for ‘28) over the winter to be a key part of the bullpen. The 33-year-old righty allowed six runs in four innings through his first five appearances, during which his cutter velocity dropped steadily from a 90.6 mph average in his season debut to 88.2 mph in his last outing prior to the move to the IL.
Maton said the knee issue was similar to one he pitched through in the second half last year, but going on the IL this time gave him a much-needed rest. While on the shelf, Maton was able to maintain a throwing program, while working on some mechanical issues that will hopefully help the knee going forward.
“It’s something where it’s easy to say right now, ‘I think it should be resolved,’” Maton said, “with the positioning stuff we’ve done [with the back foot]. But right now, I’m very happy with it. We’ll see how it goes over the course of the year. I’m kind of hoping we addressed it now and we can focus on getting guys out for the rest of the year.”
Cubs get clarity on Palencia
The Cubs had closer Daniel Palencia undergo imaging on his left side, which revealed that the source of his injury was related to his lat and not the oblique. Counsell noted that an MRI exam revealed a “mild lat strain,” but added that Palencia has been making progress.
“He’s responding very well right now,” Counsell said.
Counsell said that Palencia (placed on the 15-day IL on Friday) might be cleared to resume throwing before the end of the current homestand. The manager said “optimistically” the timetable looks like two more weeks on the shelf for the righty.
Hodge undergoes surgery
As planned, Cubs reliever Porter Hodge underwent major elbow surgery on Monday with Dr. Keith Meister. Counsell noted that Hodge had a reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament with an internal brace. The initial timetable for return is estimated between 12-14 months for the pitcher, per the manager.
Other injury notes
• Righty Ethan Roberts (15-day IL, lacerated right middle finger) threw a bullpen session on Tuesday with no issues. The reliever said he might be cleared to pitch in a Minor League rehab game by the coming weekend.
• Counsell noted that righty Hunter Harvey (15-day IL, right triceps) is tentatively scheduled to resume a throwing program on Friday.
• Left-hander Matthew Boyd (15-day IL, left biceps) remains on target to be activated on Wednesday to start against the Phillies.