If the Chicago Cubs were hoping to get some bullpen reinforcements down the stretch, they got some bad news this week.
Two injured arms were essentially ruled out for the remainder of the season this week. The first was Shelby Milley, who was signed to a two-year deal this offseason and spent nearly the whole year working his way back from Tommy John surgery. The veteran started to put together some promising rehab appearances, which included chucking his fastball in the high-90s. For a bullpen that lacked true swing-and-miss stuff, the idea of welcoming him to Wrigley in time for the postseason was exciting.
Nevertheless, Craig Counsell informed reporters on Tuesday that Miller will not get the call.
"At this point the risk outweighs what reward there would be of keeping him going & pushing him to pitch in this environment," Counsell explained (h/t Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune ).
To be clear, it doesn't appear as if Miller faced any recent setbacks. He actually pitched a scoreless inning as recently as September 13. At the same time, it's hard to blame the Cubs for the decision, even with their bullpen reeling. This was Miller's second Tommy John procedure, and it's not like his pitching in the minors was flawless. As Counsell implied, keeping Miller out of the mix is likely in his best interest.
Another name that fans were hoping to see back in the bullpen was lefty Riley Martin. He appeared in only eight games this season before hitting the IL with elbow inflammation. Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune noted that he has trended upward and should be in line to finally begin rehab appearances. With that said, Counsell shared that a return to the Bigs is not a priority right now.
All things considered, it makes plenty of sense with only a couple of weeks to go in the regular season. There isn't enough time to ramp him up after months stuck on the sidelines. Alas, it's another unfortunate turn of events for a Cubs team in desperate need of bullpen assistance.
Miller and likely Martin now join a lengthy list of relief arms that have been shut down early. Ben Brown has been ruled out due to his neck issues, while there is zero expectation that Phil Maton or Hunter Harvey will find their way back to the bullpen. All eyes will now turn to Gavin Hollowell and Justin Steele , who continue to work through their rehab assignments.
Aug 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Chicago Cubs are on the brink of welcoming back arguably their best defensive player.
Dansby Swanson was set to make his first rehab appearance on Tuesday with the Iowa Cubs. Mother Nature got in the way, however, with the game against Omaha being rained out. The hope is presumably to get him on the field in Wednesday night's meeting, but rain remains in the forecast as of publication.
Regardless, the Cubs seem to be prepared for a very short rehab assignment for Swanson. They need him back in the lineup ASAP, and all indications are that he is feeling 100 percent. With that in mind, even if Wednesday night's game is disrupted, don't be surprised if he's thrown right back into the fire.
Swanson's return will move Nico Hoerner back to second base, thus taking Pedro Ramrez out of the infield. It will be fascinating to see how Counsell proceeds to divvy up the playing time. The rookie has proven worthy of a consistent role, but the same could be said about a healthy Matt Shaw . Then, of course, there is the solid production from Michael Conforto and Tyrone Taylor to consider in certain matchups.
Nevertheless, compared to the bullpen situation, this is at least a good problem to have.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cubs/onsi as Cubs Injury News: Losing Two More Possible Bullpen Arms, Dansby Swanson Update .
