Chicago Cubs: Who is the next man up amid the bullpen turmoil?

In a whirlwind of misfortune, the Chicago Cubs bullpen has been bitten by the injury bug. With Craig Kimbrel hitting the injured list, and now Brandon Kintzler? The bullpen is looking for help.

The Major League Baseball season is grueling. One hundred sixty-two games covering seven months creates natural and unfortunate wear and tear to most teams. Unfortunately for the Chicago Cubs, this has been the case in recent weeks. With what feels like an insidious amount of injuries to the bullpen.

On Monday, the team officially announced the departure of Craig Kimbrel to the 10-day IL due to right knee inflammation. While this particular injury does not seem to be serious, Kimbrel did undergo a procedure a few seasons ago to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The situation needs to be monitored with the utmost urgency.

Currently, setup man Pedro Strop is also shelved due to neck tightness. While his IL stint is coming to a close, there is no guarantee he will be healthy enough to pitch. Strop has struggled this season, posting a 5.20 ERA in 32 games.

Now, after exiting last nights game after one inning, it has been reported Brandon Kintzler felt discomfort in his right pectoral muscle. (He later went on the 10-day IL) Steve Cishek could also be in trouble following his dismal performance versus the Oakland Athletics last night. Needless to say, the current status of the pen is very much up in the air.