When Daniel Palencia exited his appearance Sunday with a shoulder injury, it left a crater in the Cubs’ bullpen.

The news that came on Monday was expected: Palencia was headed to the 15-day IL with a shoulder strain.

While the 25-year-old blew the save with five earned runs Sunday and has struggled in the last month, his 2025 numbers as a whole stand out: He’s racked up 22 saves in 52 appearances with an even 3.00 ERA.

The injury blow meant the Cubs were down their flamethrowing closer and a largely reliable bullpen option with just 19 games remaining in the regular season.

But three days later, the Cubs’ Palencia-less bullpen down the stretch is starting to take shape — and in a good way.

The Cubs bounced back from a series-opening loss on Monday in Atlanta to snap a three-game skid and take back-to-back wins from the Braves, culminating in a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night. In those two wins, the bullpen did not allow a single earned run.

“I think the bullpen goes first today,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Wednesday in Atlanta. “One baserunner — that’s 15 hitters and 14 outs. Just a heck of a job by everybody.”

“That’s 15 hitters and 14 outs. Man, that’s just a heck of a job by everybody.”

The Cubs bullpen threw 4.2 innings tonight, allowing only 1 hit and no runs 😳 pic.twitter.com/APWJPDNHUv

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) September 11, 2025

It was a masterclass in relief propped up over the two games by Andrew Kittredge (1.2 IP, 2 K, SV), Caleb Thielbar (2.0 IP, 2 K), Ben Brown (1.0 IP, 2 K), Porter Hodge (0.2 IP, 2 K) and Brad Keller (1.0 IP, 1 K). Taylor Rogers replaced Wednesday’s starter in the fifth inning, Jameson Taillon, and earned the win.

Taillon sang his teammates’ praises after the fact.

“Just an awesome team win,” Taillon told reporters after the Cubs’ 3-2 win secured the series in Atlanta. “Watching the bullpen do their thing … Just an all-around awesome game.”

Taillon pitched 4.1 innings in his return from the IL with a groin strain, giving the bullpen 14 outs to get the job done.

“Covering as many outs as they did tonight just shows you the depth and the length of (the bullpen),” Taillon told reporters at Truist Park. “Going late to Brad (Keller) and (Kittredge) there — just two pros at the backend with pretty great stuff. It’s a deep ‘pen — they’ve been big for us all year.”

Over the course of the 2025 season, the Cubs’ bullpen has seen several faces come and go while sporting a 3.93 ERA (12th in MLB).

Keller has been one of its breakout stars, going from a non-roster invite at spring training to being a top-20 reliever in all of baseball. He hasn’t allowed a single earned run since the All-Star break and notched his first-career save on Aug. 16.

Both Keller (2.20 ERA, 17th in MLB) and Thielbar (2.08 ERA, 15th in MLB) have been iron-clad relief options for a Cubs team inching ever-closer to its first playoff berth since 2020.

“Every single guy came in ready to go. Different pockets, and everybody executed,” catcher Carson Kelly told reporters of the bullpen’s performance. “All in all, a really good team win.”

The Cubs now head back to Wrigley Field for a series against the Tampa Bay Rays before embarking on their final road trip of the year with stops in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

They are still very much in control of their own playoff destiny, needing just eight more wins to secure a coveted Wild Card spot. Even with a piece of their pitching staff missing in Palencia and his return timeline up in the air, the Cubs have faced that kind of adversity throughout the season. For Kelly, it’s always been about the next man up, and they’re as prepared as ever for the home stretch.

“Over the course of a long year, things like that are going to happen. We’ve got a tight group here,” Kelly told reporters. “We really rely on each other, and I think it’s something that’s one of our strengths.”