Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Fri 5/29/26 1:28 PM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
Thielbar picked up his second hold Thursday after pitching one scoreless inning while allowing two walks and no hits with two strikeouts in a 7-2 win over Pittsburgh.
EDGE Analysis
Thielbar was called upon in relief for the second straight day and registered another scoreless frame. The 39-year-old entered in the seventh inning, striking out Brandon Lowe and Oneil Cruz to maintain the 3-2 lead, though he made things interesting with a pair of walks. Thielbar has posted a 2.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 15:8 K:BB with two saves and two holds in his 10th major league season.
Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Tue 5/19/26 4:50 PM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
The Cubs activated Thielbar (hamstring) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.
EDGE Analysis
Thielbar wound up being sidelined for nearly a month with a left hamstring strain, but he's been cleared to return after making one scoreless rehab appearance. The left-hander had been serving as the Cubs' closer before he got hurt, but with Daniel Palencia now healthy, Thielbar will slide into a setup role.
Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Fri 4/24/26 8:30 PM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
The Cubs placed Thielbar on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left hamstring strain.
EDGE Analysis
Thielbar had to come out of Thursday's game against the Phillies early after suffering an injury on the mound, and he'll now be forced to sit out at least another 15 days. The 39-year-old had been serving as Chicago's closer with Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, but that responsibility could be passed on to Ben Brown for the time being. Vince Velasquez was selected from Triple-A Iowa to fill the open spot in the Cubs' bullpen.
Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Thu 4/23/26 5:07 PM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
Thielbar exited with an apparent leg injury in the ninth inning of Thursday's game versus the Phillies, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Thielbar suffered a blown save when he served up a game-tying, solo home run to Adolis Garcia to lead off the top of the ninth inning. Three pitches after that, he appeared to tweak his hamstring and had to be pulled. The Cubs should offer an update on Thielbar's condition shortly. Thielbar has been filling in at closer since Daniel Palencia (oblique) went on the injured list. If Thielbar misses time, the Cubs could turn to Ben Brown to close games. Phil Maton (knee) would also be an option if he comes off the IL soon.
Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Tue 4/21/26 10:49 PM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
Thielbar retired the last two batters in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Phillies to record the save.
EDGE Analysis
The Cubs started the ninth with a 7-3 lead and deployed Jacob Webb, but he allowed two hits and only recorded one out. That's when Chicago turned to Thielbar to put out the fire with two runners on. The veteran lefty calmly got the job done on just six pitches, and he now has two saves and a win over the last three days. Thielbar is serving as the team's top option for saves with regular closer Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, and he's performed well in the role,
Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Sun 4/19/26 9:43 PM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
Thielbar (2-2) worked around a hit to toss a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win Sunday against the Mets in 10 innings. He struck out one.
EDGE Analysis
Thielbar pitched a clean top of the 10th inning in a 1-1 game, then he picked up his second win of the year when the Cubs scored in the bottom half. The veteran lefty picked up his first save of the season Saturday and was good again in a high-leverage spot Sunday as he lowered his ERA to 2.25. With Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, Thielbar looks like Chicago's preferred end-game option for the time being, making him worth a look in most fantasy formats.
Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Sat 4/18/26 7:01 PM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
Thielbar struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his first save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Mets.
EDGE Analysis
Daniel Palencia (oblique) landed on the IL on Friday, and Thielbar got the call for the Cubs' first save chance in his absence with two left-handed hitters due up for the Mets in the ninth. While the veteran southpaw didn't end up facing either of them as New York emptied its bench for pinch hitters Tommy Pham and Tyrone Taylor, Thielbar still got the job done. It's not yet clear how Cubs manager Craig Counsell intends to navigate closing situations without Palencia, but Thielbar has staked a strong early claim to being the primary option. Through eight appearances and seven innings this season, he sports a 2.57 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 10:4 K:BB.
Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Sun 4/12/26 9:45 AM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
Thielbar (1-2) allowed an unearned run on a hit and a walk in the 11th inning to take the loss Saturday against the Pirates. He struck out three.
EDGE Analysis
Thielbar had a bit of a tough-luck loss, as he allowed the automatic inherited runner to score on a soft groundball back toward the mound with two outs in the top of the frame. The veteran lefty fielded the ball but threw low to first base, and his error allowed the Pirates to move ahead 4-3. On the bright side, Thielbar has six strikeouts and a solid 3.38 ERA across 5.1 innings so far this season working in middle relief for the Cubs.
Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Tue 12/16/25 1:37 PM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
The Cubs re-signed Thielbar to a one-year contract Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Thielbar collected a 2.64 ERA and 56:13 K:BB over 58 regular-season innings for the Cubs in 2025. Left-handed batters hit just .161/.211/.276 off the southpaw. Thielbar -- who will turn 39 in January -- will help set up from the left side in the Cubs' bullpen.
Caleb Thielbar RP CHC Wed 9/3/25 10:32 AM
Caleb Thielbar
RP CHC
Thielbar tossed a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout to record a hold in Tuesday's 4-3 win over Atlanta.
EDGE Analysis
Thielbar is now up to 19 holds for the year, which is good for second on the team behind Brad Keller's 22. The veteran lefty has been locked in lately, as he's recorded nine straight scoreless appearances. Overall, Thielbar has an elite 1.99 ERA and 0.83 WHIP to go along with 48 strikeouts in 49.2 innings out of the bullpen this season, his first with the Cubs.