Cubs veteran reliever is aiming to return from elbow surgery and deliver his signature swing-and-miss stuff for a late-season surge.
The Chicago Cubs are going to need all the bullpen help they can get later in the season.
The Cubs are currently down several relievers and are hoping to get some of their top bullpen arms back at some point in the second half. Daniel Palencia, Hoby Milner, and Riley Martin are all expected to return shortly after the All-Star break.
Palencia began a throwing program on Monday. Milner should return in early August after undergoing unexpected appendix surgery, and Martin has resumed playing catch following a left flexor strain that he suffered in late April.
The North Siders could also get another key bullpen arm back later in the year.
Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported that veteran reliever Shelby Miller is trying to contribute to the Cubs’ bullpen this season. Here’s what Mooney had to say in his most recent article.
“Shelby Miller, a talented reliever who signed a two-year deal while recovering from Tommy John surgery, has been pushing through his rehab program in the hopes of joining the bullpen at some point later this season.”
The Cubs signed Miller to a two-year, $2.5 million deal in mid-February. The expectation was that the 35-year-old reliever was going to miss the entire 2026 season and be fully healthy for the 2027 campaign.
Miller underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL and flexor tendon in his elbow last October. This was the second UCL surgery of his career, and pitchers who usually undergo this type of elbow surgery miss more than a year.
But it appears Miller could provide some innings out of the bullpen later this season, potentially in September/October.
That would be a massive boost for a Cubs bullpen that could use some veteran arms down the stretch. Miller posted strong all-around numbers during the 2025 season. He finished with a combined 2.74 ERA and 54 strikeouts across 46 innings pitched with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers.
What made Miller such a dominant reliever last year was his swing-and-miss stuff. The former All-Star ranked in the top half of the league in chase rate (35.9%), whiff rate (31.7%), and strikeout rate (29%).
If the Cubs can get that version of Miller back in September/October, he would give the team another solid bullpen arm. The veteran also posted a 1.71 ERA with a 25.8% strikeout rate with the Dodgers in 2023.
While it still might be a long shot for Miller to return this season, it doesn’t seem like the 35-year-old is fully counting it out.
