Three Cubs Pitchers Just Got Injury Timelines. One Might Return This Week.

Craig Counsell walked into the press room on Tuesday with a handful of updates that actually mean something for a team that’s been held together with duct tape and hope. The Cubs manager laid out where three of his injured arms stand right now, and for a rotation and bullpen that have been gutted all season, even a little clarity feels like a win.

According to Bruce Levine, Jameson Taillon could be headed out on a rehab assignment later this week after throwing a session on Tuesday. That’s the cleanest news of the bunch. Taillon landed on the IL with a hamstring issue, but if he gets through that rehab start without a setback, he’s probably the closest to rejoining the big league club. The Cubs need him. They need anyone who can give them five or six innings without turning it into a bullpen game.

Drew Pomeranz is already at Triple A and working his way back from an elbow injury. No firm timeline on when he’ll be ready, but being on the mound in a competitive setting is a step forward. Pomeranz hasn’t exactly been a durable guy over the last few years, but when he’s healthy, he gives Counsell a left-handed option out of the pen who can miss bats. That matters.

Daniel Palencia is the one you have to wait on. He’s just getting started in his rehab process after going down with a flexor strain, and Counsell made it clear he’s not expected back until after the All-Star break. Flexor strains are tricky. Rushing them is how you end up with a torn UCL and a Tommy John surgery that eats the next 14 months. So the Cubs are playing this one careful, which is smart even if it hurts in the short term.

How the Cubs Are Still Surviving

Despite all the injuries, Chicago walked into Tuesday night’s game against the Padres at 47-38. That’s not a fluke. They’ve been competitive because guys like Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga have carried the rotation, and the lineup has put up enough runs to keep them in second place in the NL East. They’re 5.5 games back of the Brewers, which is not an insurmountable gap if they can start getting healthy.

But the margin for error is thin. Every loss to a team like San Diego stings a little more when you know three of your pitchers are either on the IL or playing catch-up in the minors. The Cubs have held the line so far. Whether they can actually make a run depends on whether Taillon, Pomeranz and eventually Palencia can give them real innings down the stretch.

We’ll keep tracking these guys as they move through their rehabs. For now, Taillon is the one to watch this weekend.