Cubs Fans Can Take Sigh of Relief After Latest Daniel Palencia & Nico Hoerner News

The Chicago Cubs will officially welcome Daniel Palencia back to the bullpen.

The organization reinstated the closer on Sunday afternoon ahead of their 1:20 matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks. To make room on the active roster, they will designate Yacksel Ríos for assignment. The righty was called up last week on the same day Riley Martin was placed on the 15-day IL. Ríos only went on to appear in a single game for Chicago, throwing 1.2 innings of scoreless work against the Dodgers with two strikeouts.

It was only two days ago that the Cubs received some positive news on their flame-throwing arm. Palencia was healthy enough to suit up for a rehab appearance with the Iowa squad. While he only stayed in the game for two outs, 14 of Palencia's 19 pitches were strikes. He also recorded one strikeout, which came on a 102 mph called strike in the bottom of the zone. In other words, it feels safe to say he's feeling healthy!

One of the hardest throwers in baseball returns at a scary time for the NL Central. Chicago is fresh off stealing the top spot in the division thanks to their second straight win over Arizona and four straight wins overall. The team has gone 14-3 in their last 17 games, easily looking like one of the best teams in the bigs. And now they get to welcome back an arm that consistently touches 100+ mph.

Palencia has only allowed three hits over his first five games of action this season. Not a single one has led an earned run, as he's efficiently thrown 36 strikes on a total of 55 pitches.

Nico Hoerner Back at Lead Off

May 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) is greeted in the dugout after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The good news for the Cubbies doesn't stop there. When the team released their lineup on Sunday morning, a familiar face was back at the top of the order.

Nico Hoerner will bat lead off after sitting out Saturday's 2-0 victory. The news comes just two days after the second baseman was forced to exit the series opener due to neck tightness. Hoerner had apparently been experiencing the issue before the game, only for things to get worse after running the bases for a double in the first inning. Still experiencing the issue a day later, the Cubs proceeded to sit Hoerner for the first time this year.

Batting .297 this season with a .835 OPS, Hoerner has continued to look worthy of his recently signed contract extension. He has been a fundamental part of kicking this offense into high gear, leading them with 38 hits and 26 RBIs. When factoring in all the injuries on the mound, the last thing the Cubs needed was for their best hitter to go down for an extended stretch. It sure feels like they dodged a bullet.

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