Cubs’ Deadline Need for a Reliever Grows After Gavin Hollowell Hits IL

Death, taxes, and Chicago Cubs pitchers hitting the IL.

Ahead of the Cubs’ series opener against the New York Yankees, the team moved reliever Gavin Hollowell to the 15-day IL, per Marquee’s Taylor McGregor. Hollowell is said to be dealing with right shoulder inflammation.

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The injury comes after an extended stretch of successful appearances for the 28-year-old righty. He has been a go-to arm for Craig Counsell in July, appearing in nine games and allowing only a single earned run in his 8.2 innings of action. To be sure, the usage has been limited, but it’s been needed for a Cubs’ bullpen that has been riddled with injuries for much of the season.

Indeed, Hollowell played a solid role in stabilizing this group of relievers. While no one would refer to the Cubs as having anywhere near the best bullpen in baseball, they have undoubtedly pitched far better as the season has gone on. The last thing they want now is for more injury trouble to arise at this point in the year, especially to players who finally found a groove like Hollowell.

The Cubs will now hope that Antoine Kelly can fill Hollowell’s void. The 26-year-old lefty was traded to Chicago for cash back in early June. He was immediately assigned to Triple-A Iowa, where he has recorded a 2.79 ERA over 19.1 innings of work.

Kelly has yet to make his major league debut, hanging out in Triple-A ball for the past several years. The results have steadily improved, but walks have been a pretty major issue for the southpaw. To his credit, he’s cleaned this up since arriving in Iowa, but it’s certainly going to be something to keep an eye on as he heads to the Friendly Confines.

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Oh, and he’s a Chicago-area native!

Did the Cubs’ Deadline Just Get Busier?

It sure feels likely that Antoine Kelly’s stint with the big league club could be short.

The trade deadline is only a handful of days away, and many have expected Chicago to seek out a bullpen upgrade or two. Especially with Hollowell now on the IL, Jed Hoyer is likely going to feel even more pressure to make a move.

Of course, the Cubs’ focus has primarily been on landing one of the best starting arms on the market. Their rotation has been hit hardest by injury trouble, as well as an overall lack of execution. This year’s market is overflowing with capable starting pitchers, and the Cubs sound ready to do what it takes to bring one in. They have even reportedly thrown their hat into the Tarik Skubal discussions.

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Nevertheless, they are going to have to multitask. Improving this bullpen could be just as important down the stretch, and we all know the reliever market is among the most competitive every deadline. One of the top options, A.J. Minter, already found a new home with the Twins.

Who else could the Cubs target? The Mets also have quality options in Luke Weaver and Brooks Raley. The Padres could move Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller. However, it’s very hard to imagine the Cubs are willing to pay the steep price for the latter, especially if they’re also planning to grab a top starter.

The Blue Jays could move Jeff Hoffman, while Tigers vet Kenley Jansen may be worth keeping an eye on. The more realistic options, though, may be the Angels’ Kirby Yates and the Rockies’ Antonio Senzatela. Both could be lower-cost rentals.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cubs/onsi as Cubs’ Deadline Need for a Reliever Grows After Gavin Hollowell Hits IL.