2 Cubs who will help ailing pitching staff in July, and 2 who definitely won't

Even with the Chicago Cubs turning a page from their May struggles that bled into June, winners of seven of their last eight games, there's no denying that the pitching staff remains in dire straits. It's the biggest question facing the Cubs during the month of July, finding a way to navigate through the the injuries until the All-Star break.

Around the All-Star break is when the Cubs can expected to have Jameson Taillon back in the starting rotation, and a clear update on the timelines for Daniel Palencia and Edward Cabrera. That would still seem too early for Ben Brown, who likely won't have a meaningful update until August.

Here are two pitchers who seem likely to join the Cubs' staff in coming weeks

Part of the issue for the Cubs is that they are thin on pitching depth across the entire organization. That's mostly due to the injuries that have plagued the team since April, but if one were to squint, help could be on the way.

Aaron Bummer

Aaron Bummer was among the veteran pitchers the Cubs have brought in over the past several weeks. He spent time at the team's pitching lab in Arizona, appearing in Complex League games. He was assigned to Triple-A Iowa this week, and assuming he finds success, he's going to be ticketed for the big-league bullpen by the end of the month. Bummer would give the Cubs another lefty in the bullpen, something that is needed with Hoby Milner expected to be sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks.

Liam Hendriks

Of all the pitchers the Cubs have taken a flier on recently, Liam Hendriks probably has the highest ceiling. When Hendriks is right, he represents an All-Star closer. Part of the problem is that it's been a few years since he's been that type of pitcher. Like Bummer, he was working through some adjustments in Arizona and has since joined the I-Cubs. A successful outing or two and he will likely be in Chicago.

Getting these two pitchers back this early simply isn't realistic for the Cubs

Counting on bounce-back efforts from Bummer and Hendriks speaks to the urgency the Cubs are acting with to find depth, but that doesn't mean they will alter a pitcher's development recovery plan.

Jaxon Wiggins

Jaxon Wiggins remains the Cubs' top pitching prospect, but is just now pitching in affiliated games after being sidelined since April with elbow trouble. Cubs fans have been quick to point to Wiggins as someone who could soon help the big-league staff, but that timeline isn't realistic.

Assuming there's no further setbacks, Wiggins could seemingly be an option by the end of August. There's no doubt the Cubs need pitching, but rushing up as he's ramping up would be the development malpractice that Cubs fans are already accusing the organization of.

Justin Steele

Justin Steele has resumed his throwing program, but it's important he's restarting the entire ramp-up portion of his recovery. In other words, he likely will have several more weeks of throwing before transitioning to bullpen sessions and a minor-league rehab assignment. Getting Steele back before September should be considered a victory for the Cubs, but not the expectation.

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