The Chicago Cubs acquired left-hander David Peterson from the New York Mets on Wednesday night, sending minor league infielder Cole Mathis to New York. The deal comes after Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown joined a lengthy injured list that already included Justin Steele, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, and Matthew Boyd, leaving the Cubs with only Shota Imanaga from their projected rotation.

Peterson's fall from grace has been dramatic. Through August 6, 2025, he posted a 2.83 ERA across 21 starts, but since then has managed just a 6.98 ERA in 17 starts and eight relief appearances. The Mets' starter ERA sits at 4.97, ranking 28th in the majors, with June numbers of 6.78 dropping them to last place. This collapse contributed to their slide to 12 games under .500.

While Chicago's rotation isn't faring much better at 25th in the league with a 4.64 ERA, the Cubs remain in playoff contention holding the third NL wild-card spot. Peterson will likely start this weekend against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, who hold a seven-game lead over Chicago and St. Louis.

Mathis, a 2024 second-round pick, hit .272 with 10 homers and a .981 OPS across Low-A and High-A this season. The trade represents a low-risk gamble for the Cubs, who need innings badly as their injury crisis deepens with no clear end in sight.