Big Chicago Cubs Free Agent Signing Placed on Injured List

Big is obviously a relative term here, but when you consider that Phil Maton was the first free agent reliever to sign a multi-year, guaranteed contract since 2019, then it was significant. The right-handed pitcher was brought into the 2026 Chicago Cubs to be the setup man behind Daniel Palencia in the bullpen, but after only two weeks, Maton is already headed to the injured list.

The Cubs placed Maton on the 15-day injured list prior to Friday’s series opener at Wrigley Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates because of right knee tendinitis. Right-handed reliever Ethan Roberts has been called up from Triple-A to take Maton’s spot on the active roster.

It has been a dreadful start to Maton’s Cubs career as the veteran bullpen arm struggled to get outs in five appearances prior to this stint on the injured list. The righty allowed multiple runs to score in three straight relief outings, and he couldn’t complete an inning of work twice during that stretch. Maton allowed six runs in four innings of work, posting a 13.50 ERA, striking out five batters but walking four and giving up six hits, including one home run.

In 2025, Maton pitched in 63 games between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. He recorded a 2.79 ERA in 61.1 innings, posting a 1.06 WIP and an impressive 32.7 K%. The 33-year-old then agreed to a two-year, $14.5 million contract with the Cubs. The deal also includes a mutual option for the 2028 season.

So far in 2026, the Cubs’ starting rotation has been excellent despite losing their top two pitchers in Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton. Boyd, who is on the 15-day injured list, is expected to miss the minimum time as he recovers from a biceps issue, but the Cubs will be without Horton for the rest of the season. After Javier Assad and Colin Rea filled in for the first time on back-to-back games this week, the Cubs entered Friday ranked third in MLB with a 2.72 ERA from their starting pitchers.

Meanwhile, Maton has been part of some issues in the bullpen, which collectively recorded a 4.37 ERA through Wednesday’s series finale against the Rays. That ranks 20th in MLB.

Now that Maton has been sidelined, the Cubs have two relatively inexperienced pitchers in the bullpen. Roberts, 28, has 41 career MLB appearances spanning four seasons, including one during Sunday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians. The righty has a 4.91 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 44 innings.

Last week, the Cubs called up lefty Riley Martin, who made his MLB debut against the Rays on Monday.

So, we’ll see if veteran Caleb Thielbar steps into the setup role as he continued his great 2025 season with four scoreless outings to begin this year.