Chicago Cubs' New Prized Closer Shakes Off Rust in His First Spring Outing

The Chicago Cubs prized closer made his debut Sunday afternoon, pitching the second inning of a Cactus League game against the Texas Rangers.

Aug 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) reacts after getting an out during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Ryan Pressly made his debut with the Chicago Cubs on Sunday afternoon at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. The All-Star closer, acquired in a trade from the Houston Astros is expected to fill a role the Cubs desperately need to stabilize.

Pressly got the ball to start the second inning, facing the heart of the Rangers' lineup: shorstop Corey Seager, first baseman Jake Burger and third baseman Josh Jung. Although Pressly seemed fluid in his delivery, he wasn't sharp in his performance.

He began the inning by giving up a base hit to Seager on the fourth pitch of the at-bat. Pressly then faced Burger and showcased his best sequence of the day, freezing Burger with a four-seamer on the outside corner.

The pivotal at-bat of Pressly's outing came against Jung. His ability to work deep into the count highlighted his pitch selection skills. Pressly did not appear to be working on one select pitch, which is often common for pitchers in early outings.

He rolled out his entire arsenal in an attempt to win the matchup. His slider was late and sharp, and his curveball exhibited good vertical drop, but neither pitch was located precisely enough to fool a hitter like Jung, who appeared locked in mid-season form.

By the time Pressly reached 22 pitches, it seemed like an interesting decision by Cubs manager Craig Counsell to allow Pressly to keep pitching, especially given that it was his first outing of the spring and the pitch count was getting notably high for a reliever.

Pressly's final line for the outing was 26 pitches, allowing two runs on two hits, one walk and one strikeout.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer traded for Pressly with the expectation that he would be the team's closer, so there are no imminent concerns about his performance in this first outing.

Discussion might arise if Pressly had teammates competing fiercely for the closer role. However, it's important to remember this is a pitcher still over a month away from the start of the season, pitching in a low-stakes second inning while trying to shake off the rust of the offseason.

Counsell, known for downplaying significant issues, may not take kindly to questions about Pressly's effectiveness in this debut. This outing is simply part of the process for a relief pitcher.

However, if Pressly's struggles persist, the fact that he hasn't closed a game since 2023 may become a point of concern.

For now, he will look to build on this performance in his next outing, possibly scheduled for Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale.