Mike Quade just announced that Carlos Marmol is back to being the Cubs’ closer, meaning his break/demotion from the role lasted all of a week and included just one non-closer appearance.
Marmol walked two batters in a scoreless inning against the Phillies on Monday, but also recorded two strikeouts after failing to strike out a single hitter in any of his previous six outings, which is obviously a huge red flag for the all-time leader in single-season strikeout rate.
Along with the lack of strikeouts Marmol has walked eight of the last 17 batters he’s faced, but Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports that pitching coach Mark Riggins is confident they have his mechanics straightened out after some side sessions.
Marmol has 19 saves on the season, but leads the league with seven blown saves and hasn’t successfully converted a save since July 9.
