The Chicago Cubs have gotten themselves into a slump, and it's beginning to look more and more dire. Currently on a six-game losing streak, the Cubs hope to find more consistent success with the remainder of May. At present, the Cubs have fallen to third place in the NL Central, and they hold a firm 2.5 games behind Milwaukee. The Cubs are floating in limbo with the Cardinals vying for first in the League, but the Brewers remain hot.
Cubs pitching woes continue as injuries flare.
The Cubs have been dealing with a shattered pitching staff basically from the start of the season. With the rotation in shambles, the Cubs could no afford another injury to pitchers, regardless of how small. Edward Cabrera, who has posted a 5.79 ERA in May, exited his most recent start against the Brewers with a blister on his throwing hand. Cabrera hasn't had a quality start since the beginning of April, totaling a 4.0 ERA on the season.
Even when pitchers have remained healthy like Jameson Taillon, the news doesn't get much better. Taillon has posted an impressive 6.53 ERA in May, and has totaled a 5.20 ERA on the season. When the pitching rotation is already decimated, and the pitchers that are still left standing are not performing, it makes for a recipe of disaster. It's a far cry from the team that dominated April.
"When the game punches you a little bit you gotta punch back and find a way ... I can say I thought I made good pitches all I want but it comes down to results and it wasn't good enough today."
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 22, 2026
Jameson Taillon on his start today. pic.twitter.com/volKXpDC0u
On the other side of the ball, Cubs hitters have not been up to snuff. Manger Craig Counsell continues to put Moises Ballesteros into the lineup despite the fact that the 22 year old has recorded only three hits in May across over 40 at bats. The DH spot is currently being wasted on a kid who clearly isn't ready, and has a batting average of .073. This is simply not good enough. Slumps happen, and it's fundamental to baseball. But it's also the responsibility of the manager to acknowledge that a batting average that low should under no circumstance be on a big league lineup.
The MLB has an incredibly long season, and there's no reason to panic just yet. But when the Cubs are nationally displaying this level of systemic issues this early into the season, it makes fans nervous. Especially when those same fans' families lived for generations behind a team that dropped the ball at every turn.
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