Good news continues to trickle in for the Cubs bullpen, though there was also a bit of difficult news with Yency Almonte set to undergo season-ending surgery.

In addition to a complete day of rest Friday with Justin Steele’s complete game, the relief corps got another boost Saturday morning with good reports on veterans Mark Leiter Jr. and Julian Merryweather.

Both right-handers threw live bullpens against hitters on Wrigley Field and came out of it well.

“Pleased with how both went and both of them are ready for the next step,” Craig Counsell said.

[WATCH: Merryweather, Leiter throw live BPs at Wrigley]

For Leiter, the next step means he will rejoin the team at some point on the Cubs’ upcoming road trip.

The team heads to Baltimore for a 3-game set beginning Tuesday and then the Cubs take on the Cardinals in St. Louis for a 4-game series next weekend – including a doubleheader on Saturday – for the final set of games before the All-Star Break.

Merryweather will join Advanced Class-A South Bend over the next week and make several rehab appearances.

The Cubs are hoping he can rejoin the big-league bullpen at some point shortly after the All-Star Break.

Merryweather has been out since early April with a stress fracture in his rib. He was one of the team’s top high-leverage relievers last season and his absence has been felt throughout this year.

Leiter landed on the IL on June 23 with a right forearm strain. The Cubs were hopeful he would only miss the minimum time on the shelf and he could be activated on Tuesday, the first day he is eligible to come off the IL.

The bullpen has been a point of contention for this team throughout the season, ranking near the top of the league in blown saves.

But since June 20, the Cubs bullpen ranks 4th in baseball with a 2.40 ERA. A big part of that has been due to the strong showing from the starting rotation, which has reduced the pressure and number of outs the relievers have to cover.

In addition to Steele’s complete game on Friday, Jameson Taillon also covered 7 innings with a strong outing on Thursday.

“We actually talked to the relievers [Friday] just about the week ahead,” Counsell said. “And with the doubleheader prior to the All-Star break, it’s gonna be a tough week, right? And so [Friday is] one day you kind of check off where they got and they got off days and that’s a big deal.

“We feel really good about the next two days and then you feel really good about going into the road trip.”

However, things took a turn on Saturday when Kyle Hendricks was limited to just 2 innings due to low back tightness. That meant the Cubs bullpen had to cover the final 7 innings of the game and 5 relievers combined to allow 5 runs (3 earned) in that span.

Monday’s off-day will provide another opportunity for rest for the group but as Counsell said, a busy week lies ahead leading into the All-Star Break.