BREAKING: Key Cubs reliever another shut down for shocking injury

Cubs right-hander Adbert Alzolay has been sidelined since May 13 due to a flexor strain, and his return does not appear imminent. Manager Craig Counsell informed the team’s reporters that Alzolay, who recently sought a second opinion on his injury, will be completely shut down for at least two more weeks, according to Meaghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. A longer shutdown is possible, but his condition will be reassessed in 14 days to monitor any progress. Currently, surgery is not being considered.

In 2023, the 29-year-old Alzolay was the Cubs’ standout reliever, leading the team with 22 saves and recording a 2.67 ERA. He struck out 26.5% of batters faced while maintaining a low 5.1% walk rate. However, Alzolay struggled early in 2024, posting a 4.67 ERA over 17 1/3 innings, with declining strikeout (17.3%) and rising walk rates (8%).

These difficulties, coupled with what appears to be a prolonged stay on the injured list, suggest Alzolay may not have been fully healthy before his IL placement. Statcast data shows his sinker velocity dropped from 95.3 mph in 2023 to 94.3 mph in 2024, and his four-seam fastball also decreased slightly, from 95.3 mph to 94.7 mph.

Losing a top reliever like Alzolay is tough for any team, but it’s especially problematic for the Cubs’ bullpen, which ranks in the bottom half of MLB in many categories. Cubs relievers are 20th in MLB with a 4.15 ERA, with fielding-independent metrics ranking them 17th in FIP at 3.92 and 15th in SIERA at 3.63. They have the eighth-best strikeout rate (24.4%) but also the eighth-highest walk rate (10.3%).

Adding to the bullpen woes is the absence of right-hander Julian Merryweather, who is on the 60-day injured list with a ribcage stress fracture. Counsell mentioned this week that Merryweather has been cleared to resume throwing, but his IL stint will extend beyond the 60-day minimum, potentially pushing his return to mid-June or later, depending on his progress.

With Alzolay and Merryweather out, Hector Neris and Mark Leiter Jr. are the only Cubs relievers with significant late-inning experience. Neris, who signed a one-year, $9 million deal over the winter, has a 2.50 ERA but a career-high 17% walk rate. Leiter has been a standout, continuing to excel after being a minor league free agent acquisition a few years ago. Beyond these two, the bullpen lacks depth.

The only other reliever with over two years of MLB service time is Kyle Hendricks, recently moved to a relief role after struggling in the rotation. Right-handers Hayden Wesneski and Jose Cuas, both with just over a year of service time, have been optioned multiple times this season. The Cubs are hopeful that recently reacquired Tyson Miller can fill a late-inning role, and they are evaluating homegrown rookies like Porter Hodge and Luke Little. However, the bullpen overall is light on experienced arms, intensifying the impact of losing two key relievers from last year.

Despite these challenges, the Cubs are only 1.5 games behind the Brewers in the division race and 3.5 games ahead of the surging Cardinals, with Pittsburgh just half a game behind St. Louis. The Reds trail by eight games, which is a significant but not insurmountable gap with much of the season remaining. Given their active offseason—acquiring Shota Imanaga, re-signing Cody Bellinger, signing Neris, and trading for Michael Busch—the Cubs’ front office will likely look to bolster the roster if the team stays competitive in what is currently a wide-open division. While every playoff contender seeks relief pitching at the trade deadline, the Cubs’ need appears to be more pressing than most.