Porter Hodge DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Chicago Cubs right-handed reliever Porter Hodge (oblique) was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 20 with a strained left oblique after missing the first game of their series against the Miami Marlins. Manager Craig Counsell said before the series against the Cincinnati Reds that Hodge was "in a good spot." However, Counsell said on Monday that Hodge was "not making progress." Despite recording a 5.12 ERA over 19 1/3 innings out of the bullpen this year, the 24-year-old has been one of Counsell's go-to high-leverage relievers with two saves and 19 strikeouts. It's looking like Hodge won't be ready to return from the IL when he's eligible, but a specific timetable for his return is unknown. Daniel Palencia has recorded the team's last three saves and should continue to function as Chicago's primary closer with Hodge sidelined.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-handed reliever Porter Hodge (oblique) will land on the 15-day injured list with a left-oblique injury. Hodge hasn't appeared out of Chicago's bullpen since throwing a scoreless inning against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, and now he'll miss at least the next two weeks of action. Before his injury, the 24-year-old had settled in as the team's co-closer alongside veteran righty Ryan Pressly. With Hodge now on the shelf, fantasy managers should expect Pressly to see most, if not all, of the save opportunities in the immediate future. In his second MLB season, Hodge has produced a bloated 5.12 ERA (4.17 FIP), a 1.50 WHIP, two saves, 11 walks and 19 strikeouts over 19 1/3 relief innings in 21 appearances.

Chicago Cubs reliever Porter Hodge punched out two batters during his one inning of work in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hodge hadn't been summoned to pitch since last Tuesday, but he was excellent -- firing 11-of-14 pitches for strikes and snagging his fifth hold of 2025. The 24-year-old holds a strong 2.25 ERA with 11 strikeouts and three walks over his first eight innings of work. He was superb for the Cubs in his first big-league action last year and has improved overall in the early going of this season. The righty is fanning 33.3% of the batters he's faced, and his fastball is garnering a whiff 35.5% of the time. He should be a strong source of ERA and WHIP and would project to step into the closer role if teammate Ryan Pressly ever missed time.