What happened to Daniel Palencia? Why Cubs' closer unexpectedly landed on IL

The Chicago Cubs have been going through it a bit this season, especially lately. But, amid these struggles, their Monday night win, with Pete Crow-Armstrong hitting for the cycle, and the Cubs winning in comeback fashion, was a huge win for the team.

Daniel Palencia closed out the game, striking out the side against the Colorado Rockies after walking the first batter. All things seemed great for the Cubs. But, they got some terrible news the next day.

According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Palencia is unexpectedly landing on the injured list for the Cubs. After not showing any concerns during his strong outing the night prior, what happened? The update isn't good, as it's an elbow problem for the Cubs' closer.

Why Daniel Palencia landed on IL for Cubs

"Cubs placed closer Daniel Palencia on the IL with right elbow inflammation," Rogers reported Tuesday afternoon.

This injury is a surprising one, as even though he had a visit with a trainer the night prior, it's still shocking that he had such a good outing and got hurt during it, which required a stint on the injured list.

This season, Palencia has a 2.70 ERA with 19 strikeouts and a 2-1 record, which included his win from Monday night with three strikeouts.

The 26-year-old is landing back on the injured list this season, as earlier in the year, he landed on the IL after an April 12 outing and missed until early May.

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Now, this right elbow inflammation is a concerning one for the Cubs flame-throwing closer. He's going to miss the next two weeks at minimum, but he might have to miss longer if this injury is determined to be more serious.

Regardless, the Cubs are now losing Palencia for a while for the second time during the 2026 season. Caleb Thielbar is likely to take over as the closer, as he did for some of the time Palencia missed earlier this season.

It's a brutal blow for the Cubs, as they've lost a key pitcher to injury once again this season, this time due to right elbow inflammation, and after a big comeback win at home.

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