Aaron Civale did something he's never done in his career during his Cubs debut

Remember when Chris Flexen was untouchable?

The now-DFA'd reliever was a revelation for the Chicago Cubs in the first half, finally committing to a relief role after years of jumping between the starting rotation and bullpen. The team moved on from him just before the trade deadline as regression caught up to him in August, but for a while, Flexen was one of the most valuable long-relief arms in baseball.

Fast-forward to now -- following a difficult August that only exacerbated a disappointing trade deadline haul -- and the Cubs are still 20 games above .500, but looking up at a near-insurmountable deficit to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

With Michael Soroka hitting the injured list just two innings into his Cubs debut and uneven performances coming from Taylor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge, there was an obvious need for the Cubs to acquire another arm prior to the stretch run. When the crosstown White Sox made one available, the Cubs leapt at the chance to acquire former Brewers starter Aaron Civale.

Immediately inserted into Flexen's old long relief role, Civale came out of the bullpen for the first time in his career for his Cubs debut and absolutely shoved, striking out four batters in three scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves.

Aaron Civale impresses in relief debut, could be crucial to Cubs' bullpen in September

Even with Jameson Taillon currently on the injured list, the Cubs' rotation has more or less settled into a groove recently, with Javier Assad serving as the No. 5 starter until Taillon makes his return.

With Ben Brown already in the bullpen and Michael Soroka throwing live batting practices on his rehab assignment, it might seem at first glance that the addition of Civale is superfluous.

But Cubs fans know all too well how important starting pitching depth is, and Civale is a far safer option than Brown to step into the rotation should a need arise over the next few weeks. Despite a 5.09 ERA in 92.0 innings in 2025, Civale is less than a year removed from a two-year stretch where he authored a 3.97 ERA in 54 starts (283 1/3 innings).

For what it's worth, he also spent those 2023-24 campaigns in a variety of the league's best pitching factories, learning from the staffs in Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland.

His jump to the bullpen is what's truly significant, as a capable long-man is all too important during the playoffs. Having someone who can come in and save the rest of the bullpen after a starter makes a short outing can turn the tide of a series.

If Civale's first-ever relief appearance (after 135 MLB starts) is any indication, the Cubs may have found their bullpen's knight in shining armor.