The Cubs announced that right-hander has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right forearm strain. Left-hander has been called up from Triple-A Iowa to take Leiters spot on the 26-man roster. After posting a sterling 0.90 ERA over his first 20 innings of the season, Leiters performance has dipped sharply, with a ghastly 15.58 ERA over 8 2/3 innings in his last 12 appearances. Leiters last four outings specifically saw him touched up for eight earned runs over 3 1/3 innings of work, so it seems po sible that these games mightve been impacted by the forearm strain if Leiter had been trying to pitch through some discomfort. All in all, Leiter has a 5.34 ERA over 28 2/3 innings this season, yet with a much more respectable set of secondary metrics. Leiters SIERA is only 2.96, as a .338 BABIP and a 55% strand rate have been working against him. On the plus side, Leiter has a strong 48.7% grounder rate, quality hard-contract numbers, and a 30.2% strikeout rate that sits in the 91st percentile of all pitchers. Leiters walk Scott Alexander Jersey rate is below average, but that was also true during the 2022-23 seasons, when he emerged as a very effective weapon out of Chicagos bullpen. Leiter posted a 5.53 ERA in 114 innings with the Phillies and Blue Jays in 2017-18, but then didnt pitch another big league inning for three full seasons, due to a Tommy John surgery, the pandemic-shortened nature of the 2020 season, and a stint in the Tigers farm system in 2021 that didnt result in a call-up to the Show. The Cubs signed Leiter to a minor league deal prior to the 2022 season, and then another minors contract in the 2022-23 offseason. The moves have become nice hidden-gem discoveries for the team, as Leiter had a 3.75 ERA and 27.2% strikeout rate over 132 innings in 2022-23, albeit with an 8.9% walk rate. Working first as a swingman, Leiter became a key set-up man behind closer last season. Unfortunately, Leiter now joins Alzolay and on the injured list, as the Cubs are without their three top bullpen arms. Merrywether is expected to return from a stre s fracture in his ribs by around the All-Star break, while Alzolays return from a right flexor strain is still up the air. Details on Leiters forearm strain havent yet been revealed, but naturally any kind of a forearm i sue is a big concern, particularly for a pitcher who already has one Tommy John procedure on his record. These injuries and a lack of performance overall has made the Cubs bullpen into a weak link on the roster, though not much has gone right for the team over what has been a disastrous six weeks of baseball. Beginning the season strong with a 24-17 record, Chicago has stumbled to a 13-23 mark over its last 39 games. The NLs parity has meant that the Cubs are still just two games out of a wild card slot despite a 37-40 record, yet Chicago will need to regain momentum quickly before the team is perhaps forced into some hard decisions at the trade deadline. Michel Otanez Jersey