The Chicago Cubs have struggled with injuries in the starting rotation and the bullpen this season, but the club is adding a veteran reliever with 10 years of MLB experience to potentially join the roster.
Left-hander Aaron Bummer has agreed to a minor league deal with the Cubs, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The veteran has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He was cut from the club in late May. Bummer scuffled to a 7.63 ERA across 19 appearances with the Braves.
Bummer has plenty of experience in Chicago. He began his career with the cross-town rival Chicago White Sox. The lefty spent seven years with the team.
Chicago Cubs Roster Update: Aaron Bummer Signs Minor League Deal
The 32-year-old Bummer had been a reliable member of Atlanta’s bullpen before this season. He joined the organization in 2024. The lefty delivered a 3.58 ERA in 56 appearances that year. Bummer continued to pitch well the following season, tossing 54.1 innings of a 3.81 ERA. He made his first two career starts that season, operating as an opener for the Braves.
The 2026 campaign has been a struggle for Bummer. His strikeout rate has tumbled to a career-low 16.9%. The veteran’s 13% walk rate is among the worst numbers of his career. Bummer has been unlucky with a 27.3% home-run-to-flyball rate, but he’s also benefited from an abnormally low .255 batting average on balls in play. The result has been a brutal 6.35 xERA and an underwhelming 5.55 xFIP. The underlying numbers suggest he’s earned the poor results up to this point.
The White Sox took a flyer on Bummer in the 19th round of the 2014 draft. He debuted with the club in 2017. After a couple of seasons with middling results, Bummer broke out in 2019. The lefty racked up a career-high 67.2 innings and provided a stellar 2.13 ERA. He only missed bats at a 22.9% clip, but held opponents to a minuscule .183 batting average. Bummer continued the excellent performance in the shortened 2020 season. He allowed just one earned run across nine appearances that year.
Will Bummer Join the Big-League Club?
The Cubs are scuffling through a 10-game losing streak. The team has slipped all the way to the bottom of the NL Central standings. Injuries have been a major factor. Chicago is missing Matthew Boyd and Edward Cabrera from the starting rotation. Justin Steele has yet to return as he works his way back from a flexor strain. Cade Horton will miss the rest of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The injury bug has also bitten the bullpen. Hunter Harvey and Riley Martin are currently on the shelf. Porter Hodge was lost for the year following an elbow injury. Shelby Miller has yet to pitch this season.
Bummer’s main competition on the big-league squad would be the high-leverage lefties. Caleb Thielbar recently returned from an injury. He’s delivered a solid 3.38 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning when healthy. Thielbar also chipped in two saves while closer Daniel Palencia was on the injured list. Hoby Milner has also been effective, pitching to a 2.59 ERA. Bummer likely would’ve have chosen Chicago if he knew he’d be stuck in the minors, so perhaps the Cubs will add him and remove a righty from the bullpen.
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