Welcome back to the Cubs Beat newsletter. Jordan Bastian has covered baseball for MLB.com since 2005, including the Cubs since the 2019 season. |
MESA, Ariz. -- Arguably the best baseball player on the planet stood between Daniel Palencia and punching Team Venezuela’s ticket to the World Baseball Classic semifinals on Saturday night. Palencia unleashed one of his high-octane fastballs and Shohei Ohtani flew out to end Japan’s title defense. The party was on in Miami, and Palencia was in the middle of the pile. “It looks like he’s in control,” Cubs catcher Carson Kelly said on Sunday morning. “A young player, big moments, the moment can get big and you see a little bit of the deer-in-the-headlights look. He doesn’t have that.” Palencia closed out the ninth inning of Venezuela’s wild 8-5 comeback win over Samurai Japan, striking out Sosuke Genda and Kensuke Kondoh before the victory-clinching out off Ohtani’s bat. Cubs fans know all about Palencia, but this put his overpowering arsenal on display on an international stage and against one of the globe’s best teams. Venezuela is now set to take on Team Italy in the Classic semifinals Monday night at 7 p.m. CT on FS1. So far, Palencia has appeared in three games for his country in the tourney, allowing no runs or hits in three innings, while striking out five and walking just one. |
Two years ago, the words “in control” were not attached to descriptions of Palencia. The hard-throwing righty was wild and needed time to develop, harness his stuff and earn trust in the process. Palencia began last year with Triple-A Iowa, but he seized the closing duties in Chicago by mid-season and was used as a multi-inning, mid-game fireman during the playoffs. Palencia’s World Baseball Classic save was just another big moment tossed atop a growing pile. “It’s a great experience for him,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Sunday. “He’s been in some pretty big moments already, so it’s not the first one. But he had a great night last night. He had a fun night last night. He had a great experience last night. If anything, I think it makes the tournament like, ‘I’m really glad I did this,’ from Daniel’s perspective.” Palencia joined the Cubs’ bullpen in April last year and notched the first of 22 saves on May 21. Over 54 appearances, the righty turned in a 2.91 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 16 walks in 52 2/3 innings. That came after posting a 6.14 ERA in a 10-game taste of the Majors in 2024. During the playoffs, Palencia posted a zero in five of his six outings, logging four multi-inning efforts while pitching between the third and sixth innings for Counsell. |
Counsell typically does not apply labels to his pitchers, but the manager made an exception out of the gates this spring when he named Palencia the team’s closer. That is the kind of trust the 26-year-old pitcher has built not only with Counsell, but with his teammates. “It seems like he’s getting better when those big moments arise,” Kelly said. “I think in the early part of the year, he was amped up a little bit. And as the season would go on, it would slow down for him. For him, it’s continuing to pump confidence into him. He’s got really good stuff.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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With lefty Matthew Boyd set to start for the Cubs on Opening Day, Chicago will have four different Opening Day starters in a row. Shota Imanaga (2025), Justin Steele (2024) and Marcus Stroman (2023) took the ball in the last three openers. Who was the last Cubs pitcher to start at least four Opening Days in a row? A. Fergie Jenkins B. Kyle Hendricks C. Rick Sutcliffe D. Carlos Zambrano |
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CUBS EXAMINING EXTENT OF SUZUKI’S INJURY |
Outfielder Seiya Suzuki was en route to Cubs camp on Sunday after Team Japan’s exit from the World Baseball Classic. He also had an early departure from Japan’s quarterfinal loss to Venezuela due to a right knee injury. As of Sunday, the Cubs were still in the process of gathering more information about the extent of the setback. “We need to see him,” Counsell said. “[We need to] get our hands on Seiya and see what’s going on. I think it’s just best we wait and see, and let our doctors and trainers take a look at him and see what’s going on.” In the event that Suzuki’s status for Opening Day is in doubt, Chicago has super utility man Matt Shaw as a possible fill-in for right field. Veterans Michael Conforto, Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick are also in camp as non-roster invitees, competing for roster spots. Kevin Alcántara, ranked by MLB Pipeline as Chicago’s No. 4 prospect, offers another backup plan on the 40-man roster. Expect more on this front in the coming days on MLB.com. |
• Boyd gets well-deserved Opening Day nod for Cubs. Read more >> • Right-hander Ben Brown had help from an unexpected source this winter. Read more >> • Steele faced hitters for the first time in 11 months. Read more >> • Shaw adds first base to his growing list of positions. Read more >> • Hall of Fame grants Andre Dawson’s request to change cap. Read more >> • Pipeline has 30 prospect predictions for the 2026 season. Read more >> |
“I want to be a difference-maker on the team. Whatever the role is, I want to go dominate that role. That’s what I want. That’s where my mindset is, and that’s where my heart needs to be about whatever role I have. I’ll own it and love it and embrace it, and not look two months down the road or look three years down the road. I want to be exactly where I need to be right now and help the team.” -- Brown, on his goals for 2026 season |
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D. Carlos Zambrano The Cubs have had two pitchers start three Opening Days in a row in recent years (Kyle Hendricks from 2020-22 and Jon Lester from 2017-19), but Zambrano was the last North Sider to take the ball in at least four straight openers. He had six consecutive Opening Day assignments across the 2005-10 campaigns. |
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