Cubs tease Jaxon Wiggins role change that could unlock October advantage

The Chicago Cubs are in a position where the door has been crept open to dreaming about what the bullpen could look like in September. Potential returns of Ben Brown and Justin Steele before October should be viewed as a bonus, but would give the Cubs multiple X-factors in the bullpen during the postseason.

There could suddenly be another option included in that mix. During the MiLB Field of Dreams game between the St. Paul Saints and Iowa Cubs on Tuesday night, Jaxon Wiggins pitched out of the bullpen. Lending credence to the possibility that Wiggins could be a surprise addition to the bullpen in September.

It's still unclear if the the plan moving forward is for Wiggins to pitch out of the bullpen for the I-Cubs, but it's hard to ignore the switch in his role, considering the implication it could have for the Cubs roster in the coming weeks.

Jaxon Wiggins suddenly an option for the Chicago Cubs' bullpen this season?

When talking about the potential of Wiggins helping the Cubs in 2026, the expectation has always been that it would be out of the bullpen. It would be a similar approach to the one the Cubs had initially for Cade Horton last season, and would be a way for the team to further monitor Wiggins' workload to close out the year.

Where things have become complicated for Wiggins this season is that he missed nearly three months with an elbow injury. Setting the injury to the side, considering he's now healthy, the 24-year-old hasn't been that effective this season. Including last night's appearance out of the bullpen, Wiggins has an ERA of 9.39 through 23 innings pitched with the I-Cubs this season. Adding to the concern, his command issues have ticked up, walking over 20% of the hitters he's faced this season, and his strikeout rate dropped from 31.8% last season to 25.6% this year.

That regression is certainly why Wiggins wasn't going to be considered for a role in the starting rotation this season. But, if the Cubs simply put him in a position to offer a short burst out of the bullpen, there could be value in that. Especially when it comes to offering a different look for opposing hitters during the postseason.

As is the case with the potential returns of Brown and Steele, Wiggins contributing to the Cubs this season out of the bullpen shouldn't be viewed as a certainty. For now, it's an idea that the door has been cracked open to.

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