MILWAUKEE — The Cubs’ quest for healthy arms has only just begun.
The team’s pitching situation is sort of a nightmare at the moment, with an entire rotation and late-inning relief mix on the injured list at the same time. Some of those injured pitchers are working their way back. Some will be down deep into the summer — or even longer.
Injuries abound, but the games keep coming. So president Jed Hoyer and the front office are on the hunt, unable to afford to leave any stone unturned.
So far, a patchwork effort on the pitching front has paid off.
Left-hander David Peterson was acquired in a trade Thursday and made his Cubs debut Saturday, turning in a solid effort by giving up two runs in 5⅓ innings against the Brewers.
The Cubs landed Peterson in a long-gestating deal with the Mets, with their urgency to get a deal done increasing once right-handers Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown went on the IL on the same day.
‘‘It was nice to get Peterson, but there’s going to be more challenges ahead,’’ Hoyer said Thursday. ‘‘We have to be prepared with that, talking about small trades, waiver-wire [pick-ups], released players. Just looking everywhere we can for reinforcements.’’
The waiver wire is where the Cubs found right-hander Bryse Wilson, who served as the bulk guy on a bullpen day Sunday. Reunited with former skipper Craig Counsell, the former Brewers hurler pitched 4⅓ innings of scoreless ball to set the Cubs up for a 4-3, 10-inning victory.
‘‘My best year of my career was in ’23 with [Counsell],’’ Wilson said. ‘‘He’s a phenomenal manager. Being able to play with him and know that he has some sort of confidence in me? It’s been a couple of years, but to know that he knows what kind of pitcher I am is awesome.’’
Will the Cubs look back on a championship 2026 season and crown Peterson and Wilson their MVPs? Unlikely.
But the task right now is staying afloat amid a sea of injuries so they even can think about being contenders come September. Peterson and Wilson can help with that, and they did in their first outings.
Wicks’ big moment
Left-hander Jordan Wicks was an attempt at finding a fill-in for injured Cubs starters earlier this season. It didn’t go well.
He was jettisoned back to the minor leagues after allowing 11 runs in 6⅓ innings in two outings in late May.
But facing dire pitching straits, the Cubs summoned him before the series finale Sunday. And because the baseball gods like to do this sort of thing, it was Wicks on the mound in the biggest moment of the game.
Wicks stepped into a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation in a two-run game in the 10th inning. After walking in a run, he got a flyout and a double-play grounder to help the Cubs avoid disaster in their victory.
‘‘That’s why you want to play this game,’’ he said, ‘‘for moments like that.’’
Wicks hasn’t been the most attractive option as the Cubs look around for healthy arms. But with better results, perhaps he could emerge as another capable fill-in.
‘‘I’ve got to earn it,’’ Wicks said. ‘‘My two outings this year, I didn’t show that, and I know that. It’s something that’s earned in this league; it’s not given to you. For me, it was exciting to come up because it was another opportunity for me to try to do that.’’