You probably could hear Cubs reliever Trent Thornton breathing a sigh of relief from the other side of Lake Michigan.
Thornton came out of the Cubs’ game Monday against the Tigers after taking a 109 mph liner off his foot in the 10th inning. On Tuesday, however, the news seemed good: He likely will need only a few days to get back on the mound.
With the team’s bullpen already riddled with injuries, he didn’t want to be another.
‘‘I do not want to go on the IL at all,’’ Thornton said. ‘‘Whatever I need to do, put a Band-Aid on it, I’ll be good. I’m willing it that it’s going to feel fine and be good to go by later this week.’’
Thornton, who has a 2.70 ERA in 30 innings, has been one of several Cubs pitchers to step into unexpected roles while the staff has faced an avalanche of injuries.
The Cubs were thrilled they weathered the storm enough to be in playoff position at the All-Star break, but those clouds haven’t passed.
Earlier Monday, reliever Phil Maton’s inflamed knee sent him to the IL for the third time this season. He’ll be out for a while, with manager Craig Counsell saying Tuesday that Maton faces three weeks of inactivity after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection.
Maton signed a two-year deal as part of president Jed Hoyer’s attempt to build a strong bullpen for a second consecutive season. To this point, those efforts have been far less successful than they were in 2025, with Maton’s lack of production — he has a 6.18 ERA — among the reasons.
Other relievers, such as Hoby Milner (appendectomy) and Hunter Harvey (triceps inflammation), have been sidelined for long stretches. Closer Daniel Palencia is in Arizona, working his way back from elbow inflammation.
The Cubs have done great work making up for those absences from within. Thornton, Ryan Rolison and Jacob Webb have been surprise contributors late in games.
But Hoyer, too, has searched high and low for any arms that might help shoulder the load, including in-season trades for Tyler Ferguson, Jayden Murray and David Peterson; a waiver claim on Bryse Wilson, who since has been designated for assignment; and reunions with Drew Pomeranz (also recently DFA’d) and Aaron Civale (just arrived in a trade with the Athletics).
Still, for all their work in piecing together a staff, the Cubs are still desperate for pitching.
‘‘From a pitching-staff standpoint, it’s been a challenge, obviously, with all the injuries,’’ Hoyer said last week. ‘‘That’s been challenging to get to steady footing, so to speak. . . . The hope is we can get to that place.
‘‘We may seek that out the entire [rest of the season]. But to be in a place where we have more stability, pitching-wise, would be wonderful.’’
While the minor moves, such as the trade for Civale, might help the Cubs survive, they figure to need something bigger to position themselves as true contenders alongside the Dodgers and Brewers in the National League playoffs.
Might that mean pursuing a big-time starter? Or just more of Counsell’s beloved ‘‘out-getters’’?
‘‘Craig likes out-getters. He also likes not burning through the bullpen all the time,’’ Hoyer said a few days before Counsell used eight pitchers Monday. ‘‘It’s important to be able to give him some stability.
‘‘[One guy] getting 18 or even 21 outs in a game makes the next game a lot easier. . . . It has a cascading impact that is real. Of course, that would be important.’’
Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is in the opposing dugout during this series at Wrigley Field. Whether the Tigers end up parting with the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner at the deadline remains to be seen. Whether the Cubs have the prospect capital to compete for his services is also a question.
Who else? Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara? Angels left-hander Reid Detmers? Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman? Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray? Mets right-hander Clay Holmes? Tigers right-hander Casey Mize? Twins right-hander Joe Ryan?
And that’s without mentioning any relievers.
The logistics of any deal go well beyond need. But when it comes to filling the Cubs’ need, they all fit the bill.
