The Chicago Cubs received some encouraging news regarding reliever Jacob Webb after he was forced to leave Wednesday night’s 9-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field.
Webb exited in the ninth inning after being struck on the right forearm by a line drive off the bat of Christian Yelich. The ball was hit at more than 100 mph, immediately leaving Webb in obvious pain and prompting the Cubs to remove him from the game.
The good news came after the game: X-rays on Webb’s forearm were negative, according to reports. The Cubs are nevertheless expected to exercise caution with the right-hander and could give him a brief period of rest before determining when he is ready to return to the mound.
Webb Suffers Scary Ninth-Inning Injury
Webb entered the ninth with Chicago trailing by two runs, hoping to keep the Brewers from adding to their advantage. After recording an out, Webb was hit by Yelich’s line drive, which struck his right forearm.
The incident brought an abrupt end to his outing and briefly overshadowed an already frustrating night for Chicago. Webb was able to remain involved in the play after being struck, but the Cubs ultimately decided that removing him was the safest option.
The 33-year-old has become an important part of Chicago’s late-inning bullpen and has taken on a significant share of high-leverage opportunities this season.
Cubs Can Breathe a Sigh of Relief
While the injury remains something to monitor, the negative X-rays represent a major relief for the Cubs, particularly with the postseason race entering its final stretch.
Chicago fell to 78-62 following Wednesday’s defeat and now trails Milwaukee by nine games in the NL Central with 22 games remaining. The Cubs are also battling for position in the National League wild-card race, making the health of their most trusted relievers increasingly important.
Webb has posted a 2.87 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 2026, highlighting his importance to Chicago’s pitching staff.
The Cubs will likely continue monitoring Webb over the next several days before deciding whether he can resume his normal bullpen workload. For now, however, the negative X-ray results provide Chicago with the kind of update it needed after a frightening moment at Wrigley Field.
For a team fighting deep into September, avoiding a serious injury to one of its key bullpen arms could prove just as important as any single game.
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