Caleb Thielbar Fantasy Stats

Chicago Cubs left-hander Caleb Thielbar picked up his third save of the season on Saturday, pitching a scoreless ninth inning in his team's 5-2 win over the New York Yankees. Across 34 innings (39 games) in 2026, Thielbar has recorded a 3.97 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 43 strikeouts. The 39-year-old has missed bats at an impressive rate so far this season, striking out 30.3% of the batters he's faced. With Cubs closer Daniel Palencia (elbow) currently on the injured list due to elbow inflammation, Thielbar appears to be part of a closer committee in Chicago with right-handers Trent Thornton and Jacob Webb. While fantasy managers should not expect Thielbar to see every save opportunity for the Cubs, the veteran left-hander could be worth targeting on the waiver wire in deeper leagues as a quality source of strikeouts and the occasional save.

Across 19 innings (21 games) so far in 2026, Chicago Cubs left-hander Caleb Thielbar has pitched to a 4.26 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 22 strikeouts and two saves. Despite his modest numbers, Thielbar could be poised to see save opportunities in Chicago with the news that Cubs closer Daniel Palencia (elbow) is being placed on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation. Thielbar was one of Chicago's best relievers in 2025, recording a 2.64 ERA and 0.88 WHIP across 58 innings. While he's unlikely to immediately emerge as the team's primary ninth-inning option, he profiles as the top left-hander in the Cubs bullpen. If Chicago opts for a committee approach to the closer role, Thielbar could get the ball whenever opponents are sending a string of lefty hitters to the plate in the ninth inning. In deeper leagues, Thielbar could be worth targeting on the waiver wire for fantasy managers.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar (hamstring) was placed on the 15-day Injured List on Friday. This is a tough break for the Cubs, who are down multiple key bullpen arms right now. Thielbar suffered a left hamstring strain during Thursday's win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Given all the injuries, Ben Brown could be next in line for closer responsibility with the Cubs not having many healthy arms right now. In a corresponding move, right-hander Vince Velasquez was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. He figures to take over Brown's multi-inning role, with Brown likely shifting to a high-leverage role.

Chicago Cubs left-handed relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar (leg) exited Thursday's contest early with an apparent left leg injury after blowing a save opportunity. With the team's primary closer, Daniel Palencia (oblique), already on the injured list, the Cubs turned to Thielbar to lock down the ninth inning on Thursday afternoon. After serving up a solo shot to Adolis Garcia, Thielbar appeared to have suffered a leg injury and was taken out of the contest. In his previous appearance on April 21, Thielbar locked down the final frame against the Phillies, suggesting he was set to be the primary ninth-inning option while Palencia was injured. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, as the team may provide an update ahead of Friday's contest. For the time being, Ben Brown could be a name to stash in deeper leagues as he could claim the ninth-inning role in the short term.

Chicago Cubs left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar (leg) left the extra-innings win on Thursday against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field with an apparent leg injury after throwing just one pitch, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The Cubs have had by far the most injuries to their pitching staff in the early portion of the 2026 season among MLB teams. In addition to Thielbar, closer Daniel Palencia and late-inning relievers Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey are also on the injured list. The Cubs had been leaning on the 39-year-old Thielbar quite a bit recently, too. Depending on how serious Thielbar's injury is, right-hander Ben Brown could become the Cubs' primary closer if Thielbar is forced to miss time with his leg injury. Thielbar came into Thursday's action with a 2-2 record, 2.08 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, two saves, 11 strikeouts, and four walks in 8 2/3 relief innings. Despite Thielbar's recent usage in save situations for the Cubs, he's only rostered in 24% of Yahoo leagues.

Chicago Cubs veteran left-hander Caleb Thielbar secured his second save of the season with a clean two-thirds of an inning of work on Tuesday, as he needed just six pitches to secure the 7-4 win. Thielbar has continued his late-career resurgence during his time in Chicago, posting a 2.08 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a .221 opponents' batting average across 10 appearances this season. He also has one hold and has become a trusted option when the Cubs need outs late in games. Thielbar is emerging as a primary bullpen weapon and is worth adding as save chances increase.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar was handed the ball in the ninth inning during Saturday's game against the New York Mets. The Cubs are seeking a new closer while Daniel Palencia (oblique) is on the Injured List. Thielbar got the first crack at the closer role and did a nice job on Saturday. The veteran southpaw tossed a clean inning with two strikeouts to earn his first save of the season. Thielbar only has six career saves, but could end up getting a majority of the save chances while Palenica is out. Ben Brown is also an option, but the Cubs likely want to keep him in his multiple-inning role. Thielbar could be worth a look in the short-term for fantasy managers looking for a source of saves.

The Chicago Cubs have placed right-handed pitcher Caleb Thielbar (paternity) on the paternity list. In a corresponding move, the Cubs have recalled Tom Cosgrove from Triple-A Iowa. Thielbar has been deployed as a high-leverage option out of the bullpen through the opening month of the campaign. Across his first 13 2/3 innings of work, Thielbar has held a 3.29 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP. Across this stint, he has struck out 14 batters and served up seven walks. Thielbar has typically been deployed in the seventh inning and has tallied three holds and one save. He has also blown two save opportunities. While he is sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Ryan Pressly to continue to operate as the go-to option in the ninth inning, with Porter Hodge being the setup man. When Thielbar does return, he will only hold value in NL-only formats that reward holds.

The Chicago Cubs announced on Tuesday that they signed former Minnesota Twins left-hander Caleb Thielbar to an undisclosed one-year deal. Thielbar will provide veteran left-handed depth for Chicago's bullpen heading into the 2025 season. The 37-year-old former 18th-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers back in 2009 out of South Dakota State University has pitched for the Twins in all eight of his big-league seasons since debuting in 2013. He held a 5.32 ERA (4.10 FIP) and a 1.56 WHIP with a career-high three saves, 53 strikeouts and 24 walks in 47 1/3 innings over 59 relief appearances in 2024. It was one of Thielbar's worst seasons of his career, but the Cubs are hoping he can bounce back after striking out a third of the batters he faced from 2021 to 2023.

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Caleb Thielbar earned his third save of the season in Monday's 3-1 win over the Mariners. Thielbar came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by two and delivered a 1-2-3 outing with two strikeouts. Closer Jhoan Duran was called upon to face the top of the order in the eighth inning, so Thielbar got the save opportunity. The 37-year-old veteran has gotten off to a rough start this season with a bloated 6.14 ERA in 7 1/3 innings pitched. His fantasy value will remain limited if he continues to pitch poorly, as it seems unlikely that he would earn high-leverage situations.