Is help coming for the Cubs bullpen at a critical time?

With about two weeks left in the regular season, the Cubs have an uncomfortable problem. Their offense is the best in baseball. By a lot. Their defense is the best in baseball. By even more. But their pitching, specifically the bullpen, is a glaring Achilles' Heel .

According to Fangraphs' wins above replacement, the Cubs ' arms are last in baseball. There are a lot of variables to measuring a pitching staff, but even an attentive observer doesn't need the metrics to know the Cubs pitching is a problem.

Specifically, the Cubs' bullpen. They upgraded the rotation at the trade deadline, bringing in Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes . And although the results on that front have been a bit mixed, there's still little question that the bullpen isn't one built for a postseason series. At times lately it's been unclear whether they're good enough to help keep the Cubs in one of the wild card spots.

The good news is that some help is here, and more could be coming.

Before Saturday's 4-3 win over the Pirates, Edward Cabrera was activated from the injured list, swapping places with Trent Thornton , who manager Craig Counsell said is having left ankle issues. Enthusiasm over Cabrera's return might be tempered, given his 5.68 ERA and multiple trips to the IL this season, but with the raw potential of his stuff, Cabrera could end up being a crucial piece in a Cubs' playoff bullpen.

In fact, Counsell likened his potential to Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki 's move from the rotation to the bullpen during their postseason run in 2025.

"That could happen, that's an example," he said. "That's a roadmap to how this can be really successful. Was that the best result? That was probably a pretty darn good result, but I think that's what you keep yourself open to.

"We don't know that we're going to get there, but it's a good blueprint that you can hope to repeat."

Counsell said the idea resonated with Cabrera when he spoke to him about pitching out of the bullpen. Cabrera has little professional experience in that role, but for his part, Cabrera is at least saying the right things.

"When he talked to me, that was the example that was given to me, and I'm going to go out there and give it my best," Cabrera said through team interpreter Fredy Quevedo, Jr.

Even if he is lights out coming from the 'pen, Cabrera alone isn't going to right the ship. The Cubs need other guys to get going, too. Daniel Palencia , for example, returned from the injured list a few weeks ago, but is not pitching at all like the guy who closed out the World Baseball Classic back in March.

On that front, Counsell said he thinks the best way to get Palencia back on track is to keep giving him innings. As illustrated by CHGO's Brendan Miller , there has been a significant decrease in movement on Palencia's pitches, which is making them much more hittable. Triple-digit speed alone isn't enough to get guys out anymore.

"Whether is the delivery on a fastball, the execution of a slider that makes a hitter swing and miss, [a game] is where the best feedback is going to come, and the feedback that is going to build your confidence," Counsell said.

There's also the tantalizing story of Justin Steele's imminent return . He's been pitching well in his rehab outings with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, and Counsell said Steele will throw a bullpen session in front of the Chicago pitching coaches at Wrigley on Sunday before returning to Iowa to make at least one more rehab appearance.

From there, it's possible Steele is rejoining the big league ballclub for the first time since April 2025 as early as the Cubs' series in Cincinnati . But even if that does happen, it's unlikely that Steele is doing much more than picking up a few mid-leverage innings in the last eight or nine games of the season. He might not even be a guy who makes a postseason roster.

Which brings us back to Cabrera, and to some extent, Palencia too. The Cubs' pitching woes won't be solved by one guy, but either — or, a fanbase can dream, both — pitching to the potential that they have will go a long way toward stabilizing a bullpen that's been more than a bit wobbly.

Cabrera didn't appear in Saturday's game, but the relievers Counsell used held the Pirates' lead to one run so that a pair of timely pinch-hit walks by Matt Shaw and Seiya Suzuki in the 8th inning could put the Cubs ahead.

Jacob Webb picked up starter Clay Holmes in the sixth inning and then pitched a scoreless seventh before Ryan Rolison pitched the eighth and the first two outs of the ninth inning. Ryan Zeferjahn struck out Bryan Reynolds looking to end the game.

All three of these are pitchers who have struggled recently, most notably Webb. He had a rough road trip through Seattle and Arizona in late August, and he gave up late leads twice against the Brewers this month. Webb has also had long stretches of being untouchable for the Cubs, but this late in the season, and especially against Milwaukee , his struggles have been costly.

But coming into a high-leverage spot in Saturday's win over Pittsburgh , Webb delivered. With the Cubs trailing by a run and the bases loaded, Webb got Oneil Cruz to ground out to second. He pitched around a leadoff walk to deliver a scoreless seventh.

Those are the kinds of outings that help a reliever flush the tough ones, and for Webb, he doesn't like too much time to dwell on the hard days.

"I almost want to go back out there as quick as possible," he said. "I don't want to sit on it. I want to get back out there and work on my stuff or just have a better outing in general."

The Cubs aren't going to fix all that ails them in the next two weeks, but there is precedent for teams who hit well and play great defense but pitch poorly still being able to succeed in the playoffs. There are a number of Yankees teams of the 1920s and 30s who won that way, as did Cincinnati of Big Red Machine fame in the 1970s.

But more than just hoping they can outfield and outslug everyone, the Cubs might have to course correct, even if slightly, but taking an uncomfortable problem and leaning into unfamiliar roles.

"When you get to this time of year, we have to accept some discomfort because we have to do what's best for the team," Counsell said.