Cubs Injury Update: Daniel Palencia setback, Hoby Milner timeline, Matt Shaw

Chicago Cubs baseball is back - and unfortunately, that means updates on the latest Cubs injuries, which plagued the team throughout the whole first half. Craig Counsell spoke with reporters ahead of Friday night's game against the Minnesota Twins, and it was a mixed bag.

Hoby Milner is progressing well from his emergency appendectomy and should return to the Cubs in early August. In his first year with the team, the veteran lefty has a 3.53 ERA in 38 appearances and last pitched back on June 25. Given Caleb Thielbar's struggles, it'll be nice to get Milner back for the final two months of the season as a proven left-handed bullpen piece.

Matt Shaw, meanwhile, needs more time. The utilityman suffered a left hand sprain earlier this month and is still symptomatic, according to Counsell.

"He's tried some things in the cage; it's getting better, but it's still there... We have to wait for it to be gone, so that's definitely going to be longer. We're not swinging a bat at this point."

Shaw's health could be important for the team on multiple fronts. Obviously, his defensive versatility, paired with the fact that he can hold his own with the bat, makes him valuable - especially in the hot summer months when Counsell wants to get a guy off his feet. Of course, he could also be very valuable as a trade chip in the arsenal of Jed Hoyer. We know Shaw's name popped up a lot in rumors last summer, and I suspect that, if he's healthy, that will again be the case this time around.

Daniel Palencia injury update ups the ante for the Cubs' front office

The big one, though, pertained to injured Chicago closer Daniel Palencia. The hard-throwing right-hander hasn't pitched since June 15, and his absence has left a major void in the late innings. Counsell said he's 'making progress' but not 'moving forward' - and, already, his timeline has been pushed from early to mid-August.

After a breakout 2025 season and a dominant showing in the World Baseball Classic, we came into the year with high hopes for Palencia. Alas, he has just three saves and has thrown only 16 2/3 innings this year. With his return questionable at this point, it's more critical than ever that Hoyer not only adds a front-of-the-rotation starter, but also a legitimate late-inning weapon.

That won't be easy. But it's doable. Hoyer will have to be aggressive (and probably overpay) to come out on top in the trade market frenzy leading up to the deadline. But with major holes in the rotation and a less-than-optimal update on Palencia, I don't see how he has much of a choice.

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