The Cubs optioned Thompson to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Thompson surrendered three earned runs while recording no outs in his last appearance Wednesday versus the Astros. He carries an overall 4.22 ERA in 21.1 innings of relief this year with Chicago.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Bright spot in big loss
Rotowire
Thompson tossed two perfect innings of relief with two strikeouts in Sunday's 16-3 loss to the Twins.
Thompson was one of seven Chicago players to take the mound Sunday, and he and Brandon Hughes, who retired a single batter, were the only ones to not get scored upon. Thompson has been good in relief this season with a 2.95 ERA across 21.1 innings. With Hayden Wesneski struggling some as the team's fifth starter, Thompson could be a candidate to start at some point after making 17 starts in 2022, though he'll stick in long relief for the time being.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Struggles in loss
Rotowire
Thompson (1-2) allowed three runs on four hits while retiring just one batter to take the loss Tuesday against the Nationals.
Starter Hayden Wesneski allowed just one run across six innings, but Thompson struggled mightily in the seventh. The righty has taken losses in each of his last two outings while allowing four earned runs and retiring only two batters. Thompson has seen his ERA climb from 1.23 to 3.52 in the process. Better days should be ahead for Chicago's long reliever, who had a 3.38 ERA in 2021 and a 3.76 mark last season.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Suffers first loss Sunday
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Thompson (1-1) allowed a run on one hit and a walk while retiring one batter to take the loss Sunday against the Marlins.
Thompson was charged with an earned run in the eighth inning, which broke a 3-3 tie, and the Marlins hung on for the 4-3 win. Despite the hiccup, Thompson has been good so far with a 1.80 ERA and 12 strikeouts across 15 innings of relief work. He should remain a key multi-inning bullpen option for the Cubs, and if a need ever arises in the rotation, he does have starting experience at the MLB level.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Earns first win
Rotowire
Thompson (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning of relief and earned the win Monday against the Mariners. He walked two and struck out one.
Thompson battled his control a bit but was still able tot earn his first win of 2023 out of the bullpen, as Chicago squeaked out a 3-2 victory in 10 innings. The righty has been sharp, allowing just one earned run this year so far across 6.1 innings to go along with six strikeouts. Thompson made 17 starts for the Cubs in 2022, but it looks like he'll have to settle for being a relief weapon in 2023.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Finishes spring flawless
Rotowire
Thompson did not allow a run across seven Cactus League innings. He gave up two hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Thompson looked good this spring as he geared up for a role in Chicago's bullpen this season. The righty made 17 starts for the Cubs in 2022, but the team will use him as a reliever after adding Jameson Taillon in the offseason and inserting Hayden Wesneski into the rotation to start the year as well. Thompson may pick up some spot starts here and there, though his fantasy value is limited for now in a long-relief role.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Stretches out Thursday
Rotowire
Thompson tossed two scoreless innings in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks. He struck out two.
Thompson pitched multiple innings for the first time this spring, as the team has worked him in slowly to his new relief role. The righty made 17 starts last season, but it seems like the Cubs primarily plan on using him as a long reliever in 2023. That role is a less fantasy-friendly job, so Thompson is mostly off the radar for the moment.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Building up slowly
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The Cubs are building up Thompson slowly this spring as he adjusts to a new role as a reliever, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Thompson made his Cactus League debut Saturday and logged a scoreless inning with a strikeout. The team wanted to see how the righty responded to throwing bullpen sessions more frequently to begin spring training as they transition him into a relief role. Thompson made 17 starts and 12 relief appearances last season, recording a strong 3.76 ERA across 115 total innings. He figures to be a multi-inning bullpen option in 2023, though he's capable of making spot starts when needed.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Not seen as starter
Rotowire
Thompson is viewed as a reliever and is not part of the competition for the Cubs' final rotation spot, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Kyle Hendricks' shoulder injury will open up a starting role to begin the year, but Thompson isn't a candidate to fill it. Hayden Wesneski, Javier Assad and Adrian Sampson are the frontrunners. Thompson made 17 starts and 12 relief appearances last season, finishing with a 3.76 ERA.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Suffers blown save Tuesday
Rotowire
Thompson suffered a blown save after he pitched 2.2 innings, giving up two runs on one hit and two walks while striking out five in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Reds.
Thompson entered the game with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, tasked with protecting a 1-0 lead. After the Cubs scored a run in the following half inning, the right-hander surrendered a two-run homer to Chuckie Robinson in the seventh frame, which tied the game at 2-2. The blown save was his first of the season and the runs allowed were his first given up since he returned from the 15-day injured list Sept. 21. Thompson now owns a 3.76 ERA and 1.27 WHIP with 108 strikeouts over 115 innings in 29 appearances including 17 starts this year.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Earns first 2022 save
Rotowire
Thompson pitched three scoreless innings of relief to earn the save Thursday against the Phillies. He allowed one hit and two walks, while striking out three.
Since returning from the injured list Sept. 21, Thompson has pitched eight scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and he earned his first save of the season Thursday by closing out a 2-0 contest. The righty made 17 starts for the Cubs this year but is finishing up the campaign in relief. Thompson figures to compete for a rotation spot again in 2023.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Comes off IL
Rotowire
The Cubs reinstated Thompson (back) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Reliever Jeremiah Estrada was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to clear a spot on the 28-man active roster for Thompson, who is expected to work out of the Cubs bullpen over the final two weeks of the season after making 17 starts prior to landing on the IL on Aug. 20. With a 3.97 ERA and 1.31 WHIP over 104.1 innings this season, Thompson has likely done enough to put him in good position to open the 2023 campaign as a member of the rotation.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Returning soon as reliever
Rotowire
Cubs manager David Ross said Monday that Thompson (back) will be activated from the 15-day injured list within the next couple of days and will be used out of the bullpen, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Since Thompson landed on the injured list Aug. 20 with lower-back tightness and didn't start his rehab assignment until this past weekend, he didn't have enough time to get stretched back out for a traditional starter's role. He's at least healthy now and will be able to finish the season on the field, with the Cubs likely to deploy him as a multi-inning arm out of the bullpen. In his lone rehab appearance at Triple-A Iowa, Thompson struck out four while allowing an earned run on one hit and one walk over 2.1 innings.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Ready for rehab assignment
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Thompson (back) will begin a rehab assignment Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Thompson has not encountered any issues since resuming throwing in late August, and he is ready to resume pitching in games. Barring any setbacks, he should rejoin the Cubs at some point before the season comes to a close.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Bullpen on tap
Rotowire
Thompson (back) will throw a bullpen session Friday, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Thompson threw a live batting practice session Tuesday, and manager David Ross hopes that the right-hander will return to game action at some point in 2022. It's possible that Thompson will throw a simulated game or embark on a rehab assignment shortly after Friday's throwing session.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Should face hitters next week
Rotowire
Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said Tuesday that Thompson (back) will throw a live batting practice session in the next 7-to-10 days, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
On Tuesday, Thompson tossed his second bullpen session since being placed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 20 with lower-back tightness, but the Cubs don't seem motivated to accelerate his throwing program. He'll likely throw off a mound at least once or twice more before advancing to facing hitters, which seemingly takes a return from the IL in the minimum amount of time off the table. Hottovy noted that the Cubs haven't decided on what Thompson's role will look like once he returns from the IL, but the right-hander will stay on a starter's routine for the time being.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Tossing bullpen Saturday
Rotowire
Thompson (back) will throw a bullpen session Saturday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Thompson has been on the injured list for a week due to lower-back tightness, and it's encouraging that he's already been cleared for mound work. The team will likely see how he feels after Saturday's throwing session prior to determining the next steps in his recovery process, but it's possible that he rejoins the Cubs following a relatively minimal IL stint.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Early exit against Brewers
Rotowire
Thompson didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 8-7 win over the Brewers, coughing up five runs on six hits -- including three home runs -- and three walks over 3.2 innings. He struck out three.
The right-hander is fading fast after putting up good results in the rotation earlier this summer. Thompson has failed to complete five innings in four of his last six starts, posting a rough 6.59 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and 17:12 K:BB through 27.1 innings over that stretch, and his 2.6 HR/9 is a big reason why his numbers are regressing rapidly.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Struggles in short start
Rotowire
Thompson allowed four runs on two hits across 1.2 innings and did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Reds. He walked three and struck out two.
Thompson labored in the outing, as he needed 70 pitches to retire just five batters. That was enough for manager David Ross, saddling the righty with his second-shortest start this season. Thompson's shortest appearance came on June 12, when he allowed five runs while retiring just two batters against the Yankees. He's still been pretty good overall with a 3.67 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across 100.2 innings, to go along with a 9-5 record. Thompson will look for a smoother outing in his next scheduled start Friday against the Brewers.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Sharp effort for ninth win
Rotowire
Thompson (9-5) allowed one run on five hits across six innings to earn the win Monday against the Nationals. He had no walks and struck out three.
Thompson allowed a solo home run to Luke Voit in the sixth inning but was otherwise spotless. It was a nice rebound after the righty allowed five runs on 10 hits across 4.2 innings in his last start. Thompson has had some ups and down lately, though he's been mostly good this season with a 3.36 ERA and the nine wins. After making just six starts last year, the 27-year-old is now up to 15 starts this season, and he's likely secured a spot in the team's 2023 rotation. Thompson is penciled in to start again Sunday against the Reds.
