The Cubs placed Phil Maton on the 15-day injured list on Friday, as the right-hander is dealing with right knee tendinitis. David Peterson (acquired from the Mets earlier this week) was officially activated in the corresponding move, and the southpaw will make his Cubs debut as the starting pitcher in today’s game with the Brewers.
Maton missed just under three weeks in April with the same injury, and Cubs manager Craig Counsell told the Chicago Sun-Times’ Vinnie Duber and other reporters that “we also feel like we’re taking some steps back with the health. If we can maybe use this time — and possibly the All-Star break — to get his health as good as we can get him for the second half, that’s important. Because we need a good version of Phil Maton.”
The recurring knee issue has very likely contributed to Maton’s shaky season. Maton signed a two-year, $14.5MM free agent deal last November, but has thus far contributed a 6.08 ERA over 26 2/3 innings in a Cubs uniform. Maton’s 3.90 SIERA is significantly better, as the veteran reliever has been unlucky in the form of a .365 BABIP. That said, Maton’s 11.5% walk rate is the worst of his 10 Major League seasons, and his 23.8% strikeout rate is far below the 32.7K% he posted with the Cardinals and Rangers in 2025.
Maton is now the 11th pitcher on Chicago’s IL, as the Cubs’ entire staff continues to be ravaged by the injury bug. The Peterson trade was made to try and help a rotation that is down five starters, and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has stated that adding pitching is the natural focus as the deadline approaches. Of course, that assumes the Cubs can remain in contention in the wake of all these injuries. Chicago is still 44-38, but a scorching 27-12 start has now given way to a 17-26 record in the team’s last 43 games.
Some internal rotation help could be coming sooner than expected, since Counsell said Jameson Taillon may be able to return for one abbreviated start before the All-Star break. Taillon hasn’t pitched since June 7 due to a hamstring injury that was expected to sideline the righty until the second half, but Taillon has improved to the point that his timeline may be slightly shorter.
