Chicago Cubs reliever Jacob Webb exited Wednesday's loss against the Milwaukee Brewers early after a 102.5 mph comebacker struck him in the forearm. Despite the brief scare, Webb's X-Rays came back negative—though he has a big bruise on his forearm, per Tommy Andracki of NBC Sports Chicago. Webb has been one of the best pitchers in the Cubs' bullpen this season, posting a 2.87 ERA over the course of 60 appearances on the year.
He has 65 strikeouts through 59.2 innings pitched, and his nine saves lead the team this year. The Cubs, as a team, have had a fairly middling season out of the bullpen, posting a 4.01 ERA over the course of the season, so losing Webb at a crucial point in their season would have spelled disaster for the final month of the season. Webb is a proven MLB reliever, having been around since 2019, when he made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves.
He won the World Series with the team in 2021, but spent the following season bouncing around the minor leagues. He resurfaced in MLB in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels, and split that season with the AL Los Angeles team and the Baltimore Orioles. He remained with the Orioles for another season before returning to the AL West with the Texas Rangers last year, and ultimately wound up with the Cubs for 2026.
Over the course of his seven years in MLB, the right-hander has a 2.96 ERA through 307 appearances, with more than half of his saves coming with the North Siders this season. The Cubs are in a great spot to make the postseason, as they currently sit just one game back of the top seed in the Wild Card round behind the NL East's Philadelphia Phillies. They hold a 4.5-game lead over the third Wild Card spot — currently held by the Arizona Diamondbacks — but a bad run of form could have dismantled their season if Webb missed an extended period of time.
Chicago also played in the Wild Card round last October, advancing past the San Diego Padres before losing to the Brewers in the NLDS. They'll hope Webb's health can help them past their divisional foe in the postseason this year as they track down their first World Series appearance since breaking their historic drought in 2016.
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