NEW YORK — The Chicago Cubs bullpen is focusing on recovery and resilience following a difficult performance during Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Wrigley Field. After surrendering a five-run lead, the Cubs relievers came under scrutiny as they prepare for upcoming appearances amid injuries and ongoing challenges.
Monday’s scheduled game against the New York Mets was postponed due to rain, offering some bullpen pitchers additional time to rest. However, Cubs manager Craig Counsell emphasized that bounce-back performances are standard expectations for relievers, regardless of setbacks. “You’re going to get beat one day, and you’ve got to show up the next day and go out in the same situation,” Counsell said ahead of Monday’s rainout. He noted that pitchers who struggled late in Saturday’s game could have been tasked with similar innings the following day.
The Cubs’ bullpen has been hampered by injuries throughout the season, including closer Daniel Palencia, who is sidelined with a strained flexor and will remain out for the duration of the road trip. This has only heightened pressure on the remaining arms to stabilize the late innings in high-leverage situations.
Saturday’s collapse saw Trent Thornton, Caleb Thielbar, and Jacob Webb collectively allow eight runs on six hits, including two home runs, shaking confidence in the group. Veteran reliever Phil Maton, who joined the Cubs in the offseason with expectations of providing reliable late-inning support, acknowledged the mental difficulty of rebounding from such performances. “It’s always tough, and I feel like I’m especially hard on myself,” Maton said. “All the bullpen guys get along. We’re all in kind of the same pit, just fighting, trying to put up zeros, just doing a tough job.”
Despite posting a 3.33 ERA over the past four seasons, Maton currently holds a 5.92 ERA with Chicago—the highest for him since 2019. He expressed optimism about his progress, crediting Cubs pitching coaches Tommy Hottovy and Casey Jacobson for their support and adjustments. “I feel like it’s really starting to turn the corner,” Maton said, while emphasizing the need to translate improvement into results on the field.
The bullpen as a whole has mirrored last year’s performance, carrying a 3.82 ERA entering Monday’s play, ranking 11th in Major League Baseball, identical to their standing at the end of the previous season. The unit, including arms like Thielbar, Brad Keller, and Drew Pomeranz, had drawn praise in 2025 but has yet to reach that level of consistency in 2026.
Counsell underscored the reality of the reliever’s role, noting that opportunities—and pressure—will keep coming, and it is the nature of the position to face adversity repeatedly. “That’s how this works,” he said. “They’re aware of that, and they’ve done that. That’s not going to change. That’s the life of a major-league reliever.” With an eight-man bullpen on the roster, the Cubs are relying on this group to uphold stability and provide strong late-game performances moving forward.