The Chicago Cubs have been playing some very good baseball of late and have officially clinched their spot in the postseason. While it has yet to be decided whether or not they will be the National League Central winner of a Wild Card team, Chicago will be playing meaningful baseball in October.

Even though it has been a little bit of a tale of two halves this year, the Cubs are starting to hit their stride at the right time once again. During the first half of the campaign, Chicago was one of the best teams in baseball and they were overpowering their opponents with an explosive offense.

Unfortunately, one of the reasons why the team has not performed as well overall is because the offense took a significant step back. Stars Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong haven’t been the same caliber of players that they were in the first half, and that has had a negative effect on the rest of the unit.

Despite it being a bit choppy for a while, the team is preparing for October but have a major concern. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Cubs needing to find someone to help them close out games with Daniel Palencia out indefinitely with a shoulder strain.

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One of the breakout stars for the Cubs this year has been their closer for most of the campaign. This winter, Chicago got aggressive in the trade market and one of the key players they brought in was Ryan Pressly.

The veteran reliever had a lot of success with the Houston Astros, but the Cubs brought him in to be their man in the ninth inning. Unfortunately he didn’t pan out and is no longer on the team after being released.

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Furthermore, Porter Hodge who was a key contributor for the bullpen in 2024 and figured to have a prominent role in the unit this season, has struggled as well. This led to the rise of Palencia into the closer role, but unfortunately the right-hander has been on the injured list with a shoulder strain.

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Now, Chicago is in a tough spot with limited options to try and replace the production of a player that performed very well for them this campaign. Currently, it seems like Andrew Kittridge and Brad Keller are going to be the two relief pitchers that they are going to rely on.

With the status of Palencia being very uncertain, the Cubs have a massive issue in the ninth inning.

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