The Chicago Cubs have had horrible injury luck this season. This is especially true in the bullpen.
Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, Porter Hodge, Riley Martin, Caleb Thielbar and others have spent time on the injured list this season.
Now, another bullpen arm has gone down.
According to Marquee’s Taylor McGregor, the Cubs have placed reliever Hoby Milner on the 15-day injured list with appendicitis.
In a corresponding move, right-hander Tyler Ferguson has been recalled.
This is yet another blow to a Cubs team that has been decimated by injuries. It isn’t just the bullpen. The rotation has been beaten to a pulp this season by injuries as well.
Who is Chicago Cubs Reliever Hoby Milner?
The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Milner in the seventh round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of the University of Texas.
The left-hander would make his debut in 2017 with Philadelphia, pitching to a 2.01 ERA in 37 games. He would struggle the following year with the Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays.
He spent 2020 with the Los Angeles Angels and struggled to an 8.10 ERA.
Milner then went to the Milwaukee Brewers, where he would spend four seasons. During that time, he pitched in 220 games and had a 3.64 ERA.
Milner spent time with the Texas Rangers in 2025 before signing with the Cubs this offseason on a one-year, $3.75 million contract.
In 38 games so far, Milner has pitched to a 3.53 ERA, but with just 18 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. Milner has never been a strikeout pitcher. Instead, he relies on weak contact.
As for Ferguson, the Texas Rangers selected him in the sixth round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt University. He would debut in 2024 at the age of 30 with the Oakland Athletics, pitching to a 3.68 ERA in 48 games.
In 2025, he would take a step back with a 4.66 ERA in 56 games, although advanced metrics were more favorable towards him.
This year, the A’s traded Ferguson early in the season to Chicago for unknown compensation. In two games with Chicago (3.1 innings), Ferguson gave up one run, striking out five batters.
Ferguson has always been a strikeout pitcher and the Cubs are hoping he can use his arsenal to get out hitters consistently.
What’s Next?
The Cubs’ pitching has thinned out dramatically in recent weeks. Closer Daniel Palencia is shelved, and practically the entire starting rotation, minus Shota Imanaga, has been injured for a significant period of time.
So, what do the Cubs do?
Chicago will likely buy at the deadline with a 44-38 record. Currently in second place in the division behind the Milwaukee Brewers (7.5 games behind) and in the third National League Wild Card spot, Chicago will likely go for a premium starter and/or reliever.
Boston Red Sox starter Sonny Gray could be a good idea for general manager Jed Hoyer. But in the end, the trade deadline is difficult to predict, and we don’t exactly know who will be available at this point.
In the meantime, Milner will have to recover from appendicitis and come back as soon as possible for the Cubs’ playoff push.
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