Phil Maton's Cubs Return to Boost Bullpen at Crucial Time

Phil Maton is finally coming back to the Cubs roster at just the right time as the injury plagued bullpen was exposed against the Dodgers.

Phil Maton | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The pitching crisis that is going on for the Chicago Cubs has been infinite, as both the starting rotation and bullpen have been dismantled by injuries. However, the team has been winning, and one wouldn't guess that the staff is shorthanded.

However, the 10-game win streak that the Cubs were on was snapped on Saturday by the reigning world champs as the relievers finally blinked, which was bound to happen as the pen has been without Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, and Caleb Thielbar.

While that is a less-than-ideal situation for Chicago, Maton's return to the roster is finally arriving. On April 24, Maton threw a scoreless inning in a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa and has now rejoined the organization on their road trip.

Phil Maton | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Maton's return could not have come at a better time, as the major gaps inside the short-staffed bullpen were fully taken advantage of by the Dodgers in Saturday's 12-4 loss at Dodger Stadium.

What happened in Dodgers Series

Javier Assad was the first reliever to have major struggles in Los Angeles. Starting pitcher Colin Rea was pulled quickly in game 2, but the Cubs were only down a run when Assad went in. They were right there to steal another win. But it went downhill quickly.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea (53) walks to the dugout after a pitching change against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Assad entered the game with a pair of runners on base and started his outing with a four-pitch walk. Bases loaded. Back-to-back two-out singles gave the Dodgers a four-run lead. Unfortunately, it didn't stop there.

By the time he headed back to the dugout after 2.1 innings, Assad had allowed six earned runs. The game was out of control, and the Cubs never had another chance.

The series finale went a whole lot better for the Cubs' bullpen, but all momentum came to a screeching halt in the previous loss, and the Chicago offense was shut down.

Why Maton is so important

Maton has veteran experience as a reliever that every organization he has pitched for has counted on. In the last five seasons, he's been used in at least 60 innings while recording a career-best season in 2025 with a 2.79 ERA and 22 saves.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Phil Maton (88) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The 33-year-old has primarily been a ground-out pitcher, which the Cubs organization loves because of the defense standing behind him. With a plethora of Gold Glove winners on this roster, there is never a major worry about mistakes happening.

It will be extremely beneficial for Chicago to have Maton back on the roster to help get this bullpen back on track.