On Sunday, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals are squaring off in a rubber match.
In case you forgot, the Cubs went out and acquired a handful of pitchers, including two starters, at the MLB trade deadline earlier this month, headlined by acquiring Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes.
However, Chicago also added pitchers Ryan Zeferjahn and David Peterson.
During their series with the Cardinals, the Cubs announced a notable decision regarding David Peterson. Also, Edward Cabrera is being activated off the IL on Sunday and will start for the Cubs.
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David Peterson Being Moved to Bullpen, Per Craig Counsell
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 1: David Peterson #19 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Wrigley Field on August 1, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Per manager Craig Counsell, David Peterson is being moved to the bullpen for the time being, which could be for the remainder of the regular season. It’s likely mostly due to Edward Cabrera being reinserted into the rotation, and the plethora of arms the Cubs have.
Across his past five starts, Peterson has allowed just seven earned runs.
Since joining the Chicago Cubs rotation, Peterson holds an ERA of 4.19 across eight starts and 43 innings pitched.
Over 111 total innings pitched this season, Peterson has an ERA of 5.35 with 94 strikeouts.
It’s hard to tell what impact this move will have on the Cubs, who have been a surging team in MLB over the past month and have emerged as a real threat in the NL (if they hadn’t already been before). It’s also unclear whether it’s really a ‘demotion’ due to performance issues, or if the Cubs are just trying to shuffle around their bullpen, and Peterson could fit better as a long reliever in the pen.
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More on David Peterson’s Move to the Bullpen
GettyWASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 12: David Peterson #19 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park on August 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
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