The Chicago Cubs saw a familiar face return to their lineup but had another player land on the injured list Monday afternoon.

Pete Crow-Armstrong returned to the starting nine for Monday’s series opener against the Atlanta Braves, put placed closer Daniel Palencia on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain. Right-hander Ethan Roberts was recalled from Triple-A Iowa to take Palencia’s place on the active roster.

Right fielder Kyle Tucker (left calf tightness) remains out of the lineup for the fifth straight game.

Crow-Armstrong fouled a ball off his right knee in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals resulting in a contusion but is in the DH role on Monday, hitting fourth. Tucker exited the Sept. 2 win over the Braves with left calf tightness and has not played since.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell also told reporters before Monday’s series opener that Jameson Taillon would be activated off the 15-day IL and start Wednesday’s series finale against Atlanta.

The Cubs had not announced who would pitch that game, with Shota Imanaga starting the opener and right-hander Cade Horton starting Tuesday. Taillon had been on the injured list since Aug. 28 with a left groin strain.

Palencia exited Sunday’s series finale against the Nationals, after blowing a save opportunity by allowing five ninth-inning runs in the Cubs’ 6-3 loss. Palencia allowed a solo home run, a single and a walk before permitting a three-run home run to Josh Bell to surrender the lead. He then gave up a triple and fired a 100-mph fastball to Andrés Chaparro before crumbling to the ground in pain.

“Danny felt some tightness in the posterior right shoulder,” Counsell said after the game. “Docs have looked at him. That’s all we have right now. Probably let him just calm down a little bit and see how we are in a couple of days, a day or so.”

The result is 15 days without their closer, a tough blow for a team with the playoffs on the horizon but a lot to play for over the final 19 games. The Cubs hold a three-game lead over the San Diego Padres for the top NL Wild Card spot. Clinching that would ensure they’d host the three-game first round of the playoffs.

Palencia started the year in the minors, was brought back up and developed as the team’s clear-cut closer. The fireballer was so good in that role, going 16-for-17 in save opportunities after taking over the role in May. But he hit a rough patch last month.

Since Aug. 3, Palencia has an 8.74 ERA and a 2.21 WHIP in 11.1 innings across 14 games and has blown two save opportunities in that time. Sunday was a prime example of what’s been going wrong since that time.

“He left some pitches over the good part of the plate, and they took some good swings,” Counsell said. “Simple as that.”

With Palencia out, it’s likely Brad Keller and Caleb Thielbar, Counsell’s most trusted leverage arms. Right-hander Andrew Kittredge has also pitched late in games and could be an option. Porter Hodge, who took over for Palencia on Sunday, developed into the Cubs closer last year, recording nine saves, but 2025 has been an up-and-down year. He’s posted a 6.18 ERA this season, although he has three straight scoreless appearances.