Chicago Cubs fans at Wrigley Field witnessed a gut-wrenching turn of events on Sunday, September 7, 2025, as emerging closer Daniel Palencia left the mound with a right shoulder injury in the midst of a ninth-inning meltdown against the Washington Nationals. What started as a promising afternoon for the Cubs quickly unraveled, with Palencia’s exit adding a layer of concern to a bullpen that’s already been under the microscope in recent weeks.
The drama unfolded in the top of the ninth, with Chicago clinging to a 3-1 lead. Palencia, the 25-year-old flamethrower who began the season in the minors but had since blossomed into the team’s go-to closer, was summoned to secure his 28th save. Instead, the inning spiraled out of control. Palencia’s first pitch—a blistering 100.4 mph four-seamer—sailed inside on Nationals first baseman Andrés Chaparro. The right-hander grimaced as he completed his delivery, then hunched over, his back to home plate, and let his glove drop to the mound. In a scene that spoke volumes, Palencia crouched in frustration, slamming his left hand into the dirt as manager Craig Counsell and a team trainer rushed to his side.
After a brief consultation behind the mound, Palencia, Counsell, and the trainer walked off the field together, leaving a stunned Wrigley crowd to process the sudden turn of events. The Cubs’ bullpen door swung open for Porter Hodge, but the damage had already been done. The Nationals capitalized on the chaos, rallying for five runs in the inning and flipping Chicago’s two-run advantage into a 6-3 defeat. The Cubs couldn’t muster a comeback in the bottom of the frame, sealing a loss that could have far-reaching implications in the National League playoff race.
“Danny felt some tightness in the posterior right shoulder,” Counsell said after the game, according to multiple reports. “Docs have looked at him. That’s all we have right now. Probably let him just calm down a little bit and see how we are in a couple of days, a day or so.” Counsell added that Palencia had experienced a similar issue “maybe a couple months ago,” but that episode lasted only a day and the right-hander “has been good ever since.”
The injury capped what was already a disastrous outing for Palencia. He failed to record an out while facing five batters, beginning with a leadoff solo home run to center fielder Robert Hassell III that cut the Cubs’ lead to 3-2. A single and a walk followed, setting the stage for Nationals pinch-hitter Josh Bell, who launched a three-run homer to center, turning the game on its head. Palencia then surrendered a triple to left fielder Daylen Lile, who later scored, before the shoulder tightness forced the closer’s early exit.
It marked Palencia’s third blown save of the season and his second since August 3—a stretch in which his once-dominant numbers had started to balloon. Since August 1, after a save that lowered his ERA to 1.36 and his WHIP to 0.88, Palencia has struggled. Over his last 14 appearances, his ERA has soared to 8.74, with a 2.21 WHIP and opponents hitting .377 against him. Sunday’s collapse pushed his season ERA to 3.00, with a 1.18 WHIP and a .230 opponent average—still respectable, but a far cry from his early-season dominance.
“He left some pitches over kind of the good part of the plate, and they took some good swings,” Counsell said during the postgame press conference. “Simple as that.” Catcher Carson Kelly echoed the sentiment, noting that Palencia’s misses were lower in the zone than usual. “When he’s got his heater up in the zone, it plays really well,” Kelly said. “We were missing down a little bit. It’s the big leagues. They put good swings on it, and it just turned on us today.”
Palencia’s journey to the closer’s role has been one of the season’s bright spots for Chicago. He earned his first save opportunity on May 19 and soon took over ninth-inning duties after Ryan Pressly was removed from the role and Porter Hodge landed on the injured list. For much of the year, Palencia thrived in high-leverage situations, showing poise uncommon for such a young arm. “He’s done a great job for us all year,” Kelly told reporters. “Especially for a young guy coming in and handling those late innings, it’s really important. He’s been great for us all year. I don’t know what it is, but hopefully he’s good to go here in the next day or so.”
The timing of Palencia’s injury couldn’t be worse for the Cubs, who are battling for playoff positioning in a tightly contested National League race. With the regular season winding down, every game carries increased weight, and the loss of their closer—even temporarily—could force Counsell to rethink his late-inning strategy. The bullpen, already tested by injuries and inconsistency, now faces even greater scrutiny.
If Palencia is sidelined, Counsell will likely turn to a committee approach to cover the ninth inning. Caleb Thielbar and Brad Keller are the most probable candidates, though both are relatively inexperienced in the closer’s role. Thielbar has five career saves, including one this season, while Keller boasts three, with one coming in 2025. Keller, however, has been on a remarkable run of late, extending his scoreless streak to 20 games (20.1 innings) since July 18—the longest active mark among National League relievers. Andrew Kittredge, another leverage option, has posted a 3.57 ERA this year, while left-hander Taylor Rogers brings the most closing experience (83 career saves) but has struggled since joining the Cubs, allowing eight earned runs in 11.2 innings (6.17 ERA).
Porter Hodge, who emerged as the Cubs’ closer last year and picked up nine saves, has battled injuries and inconsistency in 2025, posting a 6.18 ERA. The bullpen’s depth and flexibility will be put to the test as Counsell weighs matchups and recent performance in crafting his late-inning plans.
For now, the Cubs’ focus remains on Palencia’s health. He is scheduled for medical testing in the coming days to determine the extent of his shoulder issue. The team expects to have more information soon—a crucial development as they prepare for the season’s final stretch and a potential playoff run. “We’ll regroup on that,” Counsell said when asked about the closer situation. “That’s not as important as figuring out what’s going on with Danny right now. We got to get 27 outs, and we’ll figure out how to get 27 outs. If it’s without Danny, it’ll look a little different.”
As the Cubs await word on Palencia’s status, the bullpen’s next move remains up in the air. One thing’s for sure: with the postseason picture coming into focus, every decision and every pitch will be magnified. The North Siders, resilient all season, now face another test as they look to steady the ship and keep their playoff hopes alive.
