Cubs Get Back One Of Their Top Relievers – But Did They DFA the Right Guy?

Craig Counsell might cry tears of joy.

After weeks of seemingly nothing but injury updates for his bullpen, the Chicago Cubs manager will finally welcome back one of his top relievers. The Cubs officially activated Caleb Thielbar from the 15-day IL. The news comes over three weeks since the lefty's last appearance for the big league squad. Thielbar pitched against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 23, but didn't even last an inning after throwing 14 pitches and giving up a homer.

Thielbar has been recovering from a mild hamstring strain. He finally appeared in a rehab assignment for the South Bend Cubs on May 16, where he threw one full inning of work. Thielbar struck out two batters but also gave up a walk and allowed a hit.

Nevertheless, time has been of the essence for the Cubs. Thielbar's return is an incredibly welcomed sight, especially as the Cubs try to break out of a funk that has them losing seven of their last nine games. While they were able to manage their lack of bullpen depth for a while, it's finally started to catch up to them in recent days. We need to look no further than their walk-off loss to the White Sox this past weekend to see just that.

Of course, Thielbar isn't going to fix all that ails this Cubs team, but he has become one of their most dependable arms over the last two years. He's followed up his 2.64 ERA in 2025 with a 3.12 ERA in his 11 outings this season. His strikeout rate has sat at a very solid 29.7 percent, while his chase rate has been even higher at 38.5 percent. In other words, expect to see Counsell waste no time working Thielbar back into the mix, especially against this disciplined Brewers squad.

Who Did Cubs Move to Make Room for Caleb Thielbar?

Apr 11, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Caleb Thielbar (24) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eleventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Ty Blach was designated for assignment in order to open up Caleb Thielbar's spot in the bullpen. The Cubs made the move less than one day after Blach made his 2026 debut with three scoreless innings against the Brewers. He threw 30 pitches, which included 22 strikes.

With that in mind, it comes as little surprise that some were quick to express their frustration, especially when considering who stayed in the bullpen. Phil Maton has quickly found himself on the fans' bad side. A veteran arm coming off an excellent 2025 with the Cardinals and Rangers, Maton has seen his ERA jump to 9.49 in 12.1 innings pitched.

He has plummeted in almost every statistical category, more noticeably in both his strikeout rate and barrel rate. Teams are finding the sweet spot against him far easier than ever before, and it's only led to worse and worse outings. Maton has now given up five runs over his last 2.2 innings pitched.

Phil Maton's Statcast page 2025 (left) and 2026 (right).

Elite metrics last year in nearly every category. Not so this year. A HUGE jump in barrel rate: pic.twitter.com/4aavPuTlOI
— Tony Andracki (@TonyAndracki23) May 18, 2026

Regardless, as frustrated as many fans may be, Phil Maton was never going to get the DFA treatment upon Thielbar's return. The fact is that the Cubs invested pretty heavily in Maton this offseason with a two-year, $14.5 million deal. And this includes an option for the 2028 campaign. They were clearly sold on him to be a key piece of the puzzle, and they likely aren't going to change their mind less than two months into the 2026 season.

Having said that, Maton is going to need to show some signs of life very soon. The Cubs' leash is only going to get tighter the longer this season drags on, especially as this NL race begins to heat up. Guaranteed money or not, the production needs to be there when the stakes are this high.

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