Chicago Cubs Bullpen Becoming A Nightmare: Another Top Free Agent Injured
The Chicago Cubs bullpen situation has gone from bad to worse as the team placed their other top free-agent reliever on the injured list prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. A few days after Phil Maton was sidelined because of knee tendinitis, the Cubs have shelved hard-throwing righty Hunter Harvey, who is reportedly dealing with a triceps injury.
The Cubs signed the 31-year-old pitcher to a one-year, $6 million contract this past offseason that also included an $8 million mutual option for the 2027 season. On paper, it’s not a big guarantee, but Harvey only pitched in 12 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2025, when he looked great on the mound, posting a 0.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts and just 1 walk in 10.2 innings. Right now, the Cubs are calling it right triceps inflammation.
So far in 2026, Harvey has appeared in four games and has allowed three earned runs in four innings. All those runs came in one game against the Cleveland Guardians, as Harvey surrendered a pair of home runs in that relief outing.
This isn’t the first time Harvey has dealt with injuries. The former first-round pick and top-100 prospect missed time due to a forearm strain back in 2022, and just last year, Harvey missed most of the season after suffering a grade 1 teres major muscle strain. The right-hander previously underwent Tommy John surgery when he was coming up through the minors in 2016, and he’s also been placed on the injured list with an oblique, lat and an adductor strain throughout his career.
He’s got good stuff, and when healthy, Harvey has put up great numbers. In 186 career MLB appearances, he has recorded a 3.19 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 205 strikeouts in 189 innings of work. That’s why the Cubs gambled on him heading into 2026, signing Harvey to the second-highest salary of any reliever in the bullpen behind Maton, who is also on the injured list right now.
The Cubs called up left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes from Triple-A to replace Harvey on the active roster. Barnes, 30, has only been up in the majors once in his pro career, making eight starts and nine total appearances with the Minnesota Twins back in 2021. It didn’t go so well, and Barnes then signed with the Lotte Giants in the KBO. From 2022-25, Barnes had a 3.58 ERA over 553 innings.
Barnes has pitched in three games with the Iowa Cubs this year at Triple-A, and each outing has been at least three innings. The lefty posted a 2.38 ERA in 11.1 innings with 14 strikeouts and six walks. His last game was on April 8, a five-inning start in which Barnes struck out four, walked none, and gave up two runs on four hits, including a home run.