The Chicago Cubs gave closer Brandon Morrow some big money during the offseason, but it appears their investment may not pay dividends if the team qualifies for the playoffs.

In an interview before the team’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Cubs manager Joe Maddon expressed pessimism that the team will get Morrow back this season, as he continues to deal with arm trouble.

When asked whether there was still enough time for Morrow to come back and pitch this season, Maddon summed it up in one word: “barely.”

While Morrow has been out, the team has been relying on Pedro Strop to get saves, and despite the challenges of not having their closer in October, Maddon expressed some optimism that the team will be able to piece things together from what they have.

“We got close with the Rays,” he said of his former team, who reached the World Series in 2008 without a full-time closer. “We didn’t have that one guy at the end and we did not not win that because the bullpen was ineffective.”

Even without Morrow, the Cubs still have the best bullpen ERA in the National League and the fifth-best bullpen ERA in all of baseball at 3.34.