The Chicago Cubs placed closer Daniel Palencia on the 15-day injured list Friday afternoon with a left oblique strain, removing one of the most effective arms in a bullpen already under strain.
Palencia had not allowed a run in five innings this season and had one save, but his early progress stopped there. The move is the third time in a week that a key Cubs reliever has gone on the injured list.
That run of injuries began a week ago, when Phil Maton went on the injured list with right knee tendinitis. Hunter Harvey followed on Sunday with right triceps inflammation, leaving the Cubs to keep patching together late-inning options after rebuilding the bullpen over the offseason.
Palencia had taken over as Chicago's closer in May last season after veteran Ryan Pressley struggled, then turned that chance into a 2.91 ERA and 22 saves in 52 2/3 innings. His absence matters because the Cubs had been counting on several high-leverage relievers to hold up over the season's first stretch, and now three of them are unavailable at once.
Maton is expected to throw a bullpen on Saturday, but Harvey has not resumed throwing and the Cubs are waiting for him to be pain-free before he does. A corresponding move had not been made at the time of publication, leaving Chicago to sort out the bullpen shuffle without one of its most trusted late-game arms.
