Thielbar Becomes Eighth Cubs Pitcher on April IL

The Chicago Cubs are dealing with a new wave of injuries that’s shaking up their bullpen and roster. Reliever Caleb Thielbar landed on the injured list with a mild left hamstring strain after pitching the ninth inning in a win over the Phillies.

This move forced some quick roster changes and sparked plenty of debate about pitching depth and MLB roster rules. As Chicago faced the Dodgers that night, the impact of these changes showed just how unstable bullpen plans can feel early in the season.

Thielbar IL stint and immediate roster fallout

To cover for Thielbar, the Cubs brought up right-hander Vince Velasquez from Triple-A. They also added Nicky Lopez to the roster and designated Scott Kingery for assignment.

Manager Craig Counsell admitted the team’s depth is under real strain. He said that out of the Cubs’ 26 pitchers on the 40-man roster, about 10 were already on the injured list.

That number has people talking about whether teams carry enough arms and how clubs improvise when things go sideways during the season.

Roster rules in focus

• Velasquez came up to help stabilize the bullpen in Thielbar’s absence.
• Nicky Lopez joined the 40-man roster; Scott Kingery lost his spot.
• The current wave of injuries is testing the 13-pitcher roster limit.
• The Shohei Ohtani roster flexibility rule is causing controversy, with some questioning if it gives teams an edge.
• Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the rule is an MLB thing tied to Ohtani’s two-way status, not a Dodgers invention.

Counsell called the Ohtani exception “the most bizarre rule,” and argued it can mess with balance by freeing up a pitching slot when a two-way star is involved. Roberts pushed back, saying the rule started when Ohtani was with the Angels, so it’s a league-wide thing, not just a Dodgers perk.

The Cubs managed to rally and beat the Dodgers 6-4. It wasn’t pretty, but the win brought a much-needed boost and proved Chicago can still hang tough, even with their pitching staff in flux.

Looking ahead for the Cubs

With Thielbar out and several key arms sidelined, Chicago will lean on Velasquez and some younger pitchers. They’ll probably mix in a few flexible bullpen days soon, too.

The club has to keep a close eye on the health of starters Cade Horton and Justin Steele. Relievers like Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, and Shelby Miller are also on their radar for availability.

This stretch is going to shape how the roster looks, especially when it comes to short stints and multi-inning outings. The front office will have to decide when to bring new arms onto the 40-man roster, and honestly, that’s never a simple call.

In a bigger sense, these injuries really show why depth matters—sometimes even more than star power. Every roster move, even a DFA, can ripple through the whole season.

If Chicago can get through this stretch without any major slumps, they’ll be in a great spot when their pitchers get healthy again. The bullpen could finally hit its stride.

For now, expect more roster shuffling and bullpen experiments. The Cubs are getting tested, and how they handle this might say as much about their season as anything else.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Thielbar becomes eighth Cubs pitcher to land on IL in April