Looming roster move is coming at the perfect time for the Cubs pitching staff

All things considered, the month of April has gone tremendously well for a Chicago Cubs team that has battled a littany of injuries - including losing Cade Horton for the season. Even after their 10-game winning streak came to a close Saturday, the Cubs rank near the top of the NL pecking order and there's reason to believe the best is yet to come.

Craig Counsell has had to lean hard on a hodge-podge mix of minor-league arms with the bulk of his projected bullpen on the shelf. But one key piece is returning to the fold either Sunday or Monday in veteran right-hander Phil Maton, giving Chicago one of its biggest winter additions back.

Phil Maton is more important than ever given Cubs' late-inning injuries

After signing a two-year deal this offseason, the 33-year-old Maton pretty much fell flat on his face to open the year, getting lit up for six hits and six earned runs in five innings of work. He knew something wasn't right and was working through things with Tommy Hottovy before hitting the IL with right knee tendonitis.

Now, with the injury (hopefully) behind him, the hope is Maton can be the go-to late-inning presence the team hoped he'd be when they brought him in. There have been some nice success stories with guys stepping up (Riley Martin and Corbin Martin, in particular) - but you can't replace the type of experience Maton brings to the table.

“Nothing is really that long term, which has to be the positive in this, but injuries add up at some point, right?” Counsell said. “And we’ve lost a lot of bodies, and when you’ve lost that many bodies it gets hard to keep replacing them with the same quality, frankly, so the guys have done a great job. They’ve done a heck of a job. And, frankly, we’ve got some tired guys right now as well, but they’re doing a heck of a job."

With Daniel Palencia still sidelined - and Caleb Thielbar also on the shelf - the impending return of Maton gives Counsell another option in high-leverage spots. Hopefully, this is just the first bit of good news on the pitching front and, come May, we see Palencia, Thielbar and Hunter Harvey back in the mix and the Cubs' bullpen back at full strength.

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