Caleb Thielbar
Breakdown
Leistung
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25. April 2026
Placed on IL
The Cubs placed Thielbar on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left hamstring strain.
Analyse
Thielbar had to come out of Thursday's game against the Phillies early after suffering an injury on the mound, and he'll now be forced to sit out at least another 15 days. The 39-year-old had been serving as Chicago's closer with Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, but that responsibility could be passed on to Ben Brown for the time being. Vince Velasquez was selected from Triple-A Iowa to fill the open spot in the Cubs' bullpen.
23. April 2026
Blows save, leaves with injury
Thielbar exited with an apparent leg injury in the ninth inning of Thursday's game versus the Phillies, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Analyse
Thielbar suffered a blown save when he served up a game-tying, solo home run to Adolis Garcia to lead off the top of the ninth inning. Three pitches after that, he appeared to tweak his hamstring and had to be pulled. The Cubs should offer an update on Thielbar's condition shortly. The left-hander has been filling in at closer since Daniel Palencia (oblique) went on the injured list. If Thielbar misses time, the Cubs could turn to Ben Brown to close games. Phil Maton (knee) would also be an option if he comes off the IL soon.
22. April 2026
Called on again for save Tuesday
Thielbar retired the last two batters in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Phillies to record the save.
Analyse
The Cubs started the ninth with a 7-3 lead and deployed Jacob Webb, but he allowed two hits and only recorded one out. That's when Chicago turned to Thielbar to put out the fire with two runners on. The veteran lefty calmly got the job done on just six pitches, and he now has two saves and a win over the last three days. Thielbar is serving as the team's top option for saves with regular closer Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, and he's performed well in the role.
20. April 2026
Sharp in big spot again Sunday
Thielbar (2-2) worked around a hit to toss a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win Sunday against the Mets in 10 innings. He struck out one.
Analyse
Thielbar pitched a clean top of the 10th inning in a 1-1 game, then he picked up his second win of the year when the Cubs scored in the bottom half. The veteran lefty picked up his first save of the season Saturday and was good again in a high-leverage spot Sunday as he lowered his ERA to 2.25. With Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, Thielbar looks like Chicago's preferred end-game option for the time being, making him worth a look in most fantasy formats.