Drew Pomeranz advances in rehab stint with Triple-A Iowa
Drew Pomeranz opened his Cubs rehab stint with a scoreless inning for Iowa, and Chicago needs the left-hander to keep stacking clean outings fast.
Drew Pomeranz took a first step toward helping the Cubs’ thinning bullpen by throwing a scoreless inning for Triple-A Iowa, allowing one walk and striking out two as he moved deeper into his rehab assignment. For Chicago, the left-hander’s path back matters now, not later, because the major-league club is sorting through injuries and roster shuffling while looking for immediate relief help.
The 37-year-old signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on June 25 after the Los Angeles Angels designated him for assignment on June 16. His most recent appearance in the majors came with the Angels this season, when he logged a 5.01 ERA over 23.1 innings in 25 games. Iowa is the bridge back to Wrigley, and Pomeranz’s next scheduled game for the affiliate was listed for July 2 at Toledo.
The first benchmark was simple: get through an inning cleanly and show the strikeout stuff is still there. Pomeranz did that, but the walk also showed there is still rust to shake off before Chicago can treat him as a ready-made bullpen option. For a team in need of short-term answers, the Cubs will be watching whether the lefty can repeat the command that made him useful down the stretch in 2019 and whether the outing volume can build quickly enough to matter in the current bullpen squeeze.
That 2019 stretch is the reference point that keeps Pomeranz interesting. Craig Counsell coached him in Milwaukee that season, when the Brewers acquired him at the trade deadline and Pomeranz posted a 2.39 ERA with 45 strikeouts and eight walks in 26 1/3 innings. MLB.com has noted that Chicago added Pomeranz for bullpen depth, and Counsell’s familiarity with the veteran gives the Cubs a clearer picture of what he can supply if the left arm keeps trending up.
Pomeranz’s rehab work is also unfolding alongside another important Cubs arm on the comeback trail. MLB.com’s injury and transactions page listed Jameson Taillon for a first rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on July 5, reinforcing how heavily Chicago is leaning on Iowa as the proving ground for pitchers coming back or coming in. For Pomeranz, the assignment now is straightforward: hold the line in Toledo, keep the inning count moving, and show the Cubs that a short-term major-league return is more than a comeback story.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
