About 45 minutes after picking up his first save of the season, Keegan Thompson received one of the best phone calls of his life.

His wife, Tate, was going into labor with their first child, Cooper.

“He had a baby boy early this morning and so he’s taking care of [his] duties,” manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday morning.

The Cubs placed Thompson on the paternity list Wednesday morning and recalled right-handed pitcher Porter Hodge from Triple-A Iowa to take his placed on the active roster.

Thompson, 29, was recalled from Triple-A Iowa over the weekend when the Cubs placed lefty Jordan Wicks on the IL. In his two outings since being recalled, Thompson has looked sharp.

Sunday against St. Louis, Thompson pitched a scoreless 9th, striking out a batter and walking another. Then, Tuesday, with the Cubs clinging to a 5-2 lead against the Giants, Counsell turned to Thompson to pick up the save. Thompson responded by striking out the side against the heart of San Francisco’s lineup.

Thompson can spend up to 3 days on the paternity list.

In 6 appearances with the Cubs, Hodge has a 3.60 ERA with 7 strikeouts in 5 innings. He struck out 6 of the first 8 big-league hitters he faced. He didn’t allow an earned run in his first 4.1 big league innings and permitted just 2 hits in that time, too.

His return brings an intriguing option to Counsell’s bullpen. Before he was sent back to the minors, he was beginning to earn trust from Counsell. He pitched late in close games before and could work in that role moving forward if needed.