Phil Maton Allows Two Runs in Braves Loss for Cubs

Phil Maton gave up two runs on three hits in one inning Wednesday night, and the outing cut into the progress he had built after returning from a knee injury in late April. The 33-year-old right-hander had spent his first five appearances in May throwing 4 2/3 scoreless frames, but his line against the Atlanta Braves pushed his season ERA to 8.44.

Maton’s May run

Before Wednesday, Maton had been hard to square with his early-season numbers. He allowed one hit, one walk and one hit by pitch across those first five appearances in May, and he struck out six batters while working through that scoreless stretch.

That brief run offered the Cubs a cleaner look at the reliever they signed to a two-year deal over the winter. It also put a sharper edge on the contrast with what came before, when he opened the season with four straight outings in which he allowed two earned runs.

Cubs bullpen pressure

The Cubs bullpen now sits 12th in ERA at 3.87 after the loss to Atlanta, but the underlying numbers are less tidy. The unit is 24th in FIP at 4.48, 23rd in strikeout rate at 21.0 percent and 23rd in fWAR at -0.1, while the club’s run prevention has looked better than the metrics because of the defense behind it.

Daniel Palencia appears to be finding his groove in the ninth inning again, but Maton’s latest outing keeps the late innings under a brighter light. With the trade deadline nearing, the Cubs may target one or two late-inning options, and his role is part of that evaluation.

Late innings for Jed Hoyer

For Jed Hoyer and the front office, the question is not whether one bad inning changes the entire bullpen picture. It is whether Maton can stabilize quickly enough to stay in a high-leverage lane while the club decides if it needs outside help before the trade deadline.