Boxberger (forearm) will throw a bullpen session Saturday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Boxberger will head to the Cubs' spring training facility to throw his second bullpen session in the last week. It's unclear how much longer he'll need to ramp up before returning to game action, though he is expected to go on at least a brief rehab assignment before being activated.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: To throw bullpen Wednesday
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Boxberger (forearm) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Boxberger has been cleared to begin throwing off a mound as he works his way back from a mid-May diagnosis of a right forearm strain. He could be ready to return to the Cubs' bullpen around mid-to-late June if all goes well from this point forward.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: Playing catch Monday
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Boxberger (forearm) will play catch again Monday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Tests on Boxberger's right forearm came back negative for structural damage and he's slowly ramping things back up with a game of catch for the second day in a row. He'll progress to the mound and will probably need a rehab appearance or two before rejoining the Cubs' bullpen.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: No structural damage in arm
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Cubs manager David Ross said Tuesday that imaging scans showed no structural damage in Boxberger's right arm, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
"I don't think it's going to be a super long thing or have to deal with surgery as of now," said Ross. Boxberger will be shut down from throwing for a bit, but he should be an option again for the Cubs' bullpen within the next month or so. He was placed on the injured list last week with what was originally called a right forearm strain.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: To IL with strained forearm
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Boxberger was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday with a strained right forearm, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
The move is considered precautionary, manager David Ross told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com on Monday. Boxberger will undergo further testing just in case, though.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: Takes first loss
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Boxberger (0-1) was charged with the loss Thursday against the Nationals after he gave up a walkoff home run to the first batter he faced.
The veteran right-hander entered for the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied 3-3, and Alex Call took him deep on the first pitch to end the game. It's just the third time in 13 outings that Boxberger has been scored upon, and he has a 4.09 ERA and a 9:6 K:BB in 11 frames. He's tallied just two saves but should still have a clear leg up on Michael Fulmer for closing duties.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: Picks up second save Thursday
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Boxberger worked around a walk to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and earn the save in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Padres.
Outside of allowing three runs in a rough appearance Saturday, Boxberger has been pretty solid, and he now has a 3.60 ERA and a team-leading two saves. Michael Fulmer has struggled with a 7.84 ERA and 1.84 WHIP, so it seems like Boxberger could be pulling away in the battle for closing duties. The veteran righty is certainly the Chicago reliever to target in fantasy at the moment, and he gets a boost with the Cubs playing well at 14-10.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: Secures first save
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Boxberger tossed a scoreless inning to earn a save over the Dodgers on Sunday. He allowed one hit and struck out three batters.
Boxberger worked around a two-out single to finish off the 3-2 victory in dominant fashion. He's now sporting a 1.42 ERA and a 7:2 K:BB through 6.1 frames after converting his first save chance. Boxberger could be in line for more ninth-inning work; Michael Fulmer blew his last two save chances and pitched a scoreless eighth inning Sunday.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: Sees bullpen thin out
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With Rowan Wick outrighted to Triple-A Iowa on Monday, according to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, Boxberger and Michael Fulmer should be the clear top options at the end of games for the Cubs.
Boxberger and Fulmer already had a path to regular save chances according to previous report, but now they have less competition at the end of games. The two veterans may alternate in the closer role in the early going, though one of them could emerge with the job on a more regular basis. Boxberger only had one save last season with Milwaukee but did turn in a strong 2.95 ERA across 64 innings.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: Could get regular save chances
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Boxberger and Michael Fulmer are viewed by the Cubs as the primary options at closer, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Boxberger was brought in on a one-year, $2.8 million contract in December, and Fulmer was signed to a one-year, $4 million deal in February. Those two could get the bulk of ninth-inning opportunities out of the gate, though Brandon Hughes, Rowan Wick and Adbert Alzolay also remain in the fold as high-leverage options on the North Side of Chicago. It could be a tricky situation for fantasy managers to navigate.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: Records second spring hold
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Boxberger pitched a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout to record a hold in Monday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.
Boxberger has made three appearances this spring, and each one has been a scoreless inning with a strikeout. He's also recorded two holds. The veteran's spot in the bullpen is secure and he could emerge as the closer if he continues to impress. Holdovers Rowan Wick and Brandon Hughes are also in the mix to close, along with fellow newcomer Michael Fulmer. It might be a committee situation, at least to begin the regular season.
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Cubs' Brad Boxberger: Lands deal with Cubs
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Boxberger signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Cubs on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The deal contains a $5 million mutual option or $800,000 buyout for 2024. The Brewers somewhat surprisingly declined Boxberger's $3 million option last month, but between the $750,000 buyout and his new deal the reliever comes out ahead. Boxberger held a 2.95 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 68:27 K:BB across 64 innings in 2022. It's possible he could be in the mix to close some games for a Cubs team which has a murky late-inning situation.
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Brewers' Brad Boxberger: Tosses scoreless frame
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Boxberger tossed a clean ninth inning in the Brewers' 5-1 victory over the Reds on Saturday.
With the Brewers up by four runs, manager Craig Counsell used Boxberger to close out Saturday's contest rather than going to closer Devin Williams in a non-save situation. Boxberger has been a bit shaky of late, but he retired all three batters he faced Saturday and secured the win for his club. Boxberger remains part of the Brewers' late-inning mix, but he is presumably behind all of Devin Williams, Taylor Rogers and Matt Bush in the pecking order for saves.
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Brewers' Brad Boxberger: Capitalizes on rest
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Boxberger threw a scoreless sixth inning in Tuesday's victory over the Dodgers.
Boxberger was unofficially shut down for a few days after pitching 10 times in the first 20 days out of the All-Star break, and the rest appeared to have done him well, as he retired all three batters he faced and punched out two of them. Boxberger remains part of Milwaukee's late-inning mix, but even with Josh Hader's departure, he may have been bumped down a spot in the pecking order -- trade deadline acquisitions Matt Bush and Taylor Rogers both followed him in Tuesday's contest.
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Brewers' Brad Boxberger: Bags two strikeouts
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Boxberger tossed a scoreless seventh inning in Tuesday's victory over the Twins.
Boxberger allowed a hit and issued a walk, but he also struck out two batters and escaped the jam unscathed. Boxberger has struggled a bit of late, allowing five earned runs (7.11 ERA) and posting a 2.37 WHIP in 6.1 innings over his last seven appearances, but he remains the top option ahead of setup man Devin Williams and closer Josh Hader.
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Brewers' Brad Boxberger: Escapes with first save
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Boxberger allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning to earn a save over the Reds on Friday.
Boxberger allowed a leadoff single to Kyle Farmer before issuing a one-out walk to Nick Senzel, but he was able to maintain a 5-4 lead and secure his first save of the year with Josh Hader (paternity list) away from the Brewers. Boxberger's now sporting a 2.49 ERA with a 23:8 K:BB through 26 games.
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Brewers' Brad Boxberger: Bags eighth hold
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Boxberger tossed a scoreless seventh inning and picked up his eighth hold of the season in Tuesday's victory over the Reds.
Boxberger needed just nine pitches to get through his inning of relief and put the Brewers in position to come away with the win. Both runs he has allowed this season came in the same outing, and he owns a sparkling 1.59 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and 10:1 K:BB over 11.1 innings across 13 appearances.
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Brewers' Brad Boxberger: Earns win Sunday
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Boxberger (1-0) gave up a hit and no walks while striking out one in a scoreless seventh inning to earn the win over the Cubs on Sunday.
Boxberger made a career-high 71 relief appearances during his first year with the Brewers in 2021, and he began the 2022 season on a high note by picking up a win in his first outing. Josh Hader is firmly entrenched as Milwaukee's closer, but Boxberger picked up 23 holds last year while converting four of nine save chances. He'll continue to serve as a setup man alongside Devin Williams in 2022.
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Brewers' Brad Boxberger: Back with Brewers on one-year deal
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Boxberger agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Brewers on Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Coming off a strong season and with 81 career saves under his belt, Boxberger could have been a closer had he landed on a different team in free agency. However, he should reprise his role as a setup man in Milwaukee, barring any trades or injuries to Josh Hader and/or Devin Williams. Boxberger logged a 3.34 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 21.8 K-BB% in 64.2 innings last season. He also chipped in five wins and four saves across 71 appearances.
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Brewers' Brad Boxberger: Takes loss in woeful outing
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Boxberger (5-4) took the loss in relief Sunday against the Cubs after allowing three runs on two hits and a walk. He didn't record a single out.
Boxberger couldn't retire a single batter Sunday and delivered one of his worst outings of the campaign. He has now given up runs in three of his last six appearances. Boxberger owns a ballooned 17.36 ERA in just 4.2 innings through seven outings in September.
