The Cubs will be without one of their top starters for at least the first round of the playoffs, as Cade Horton has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 25) due to a non-displaced right rib fracture. Left-hander Jordan Wicks was called up to take Horton’s roster spot for the final two games of Chicago’s regular season.
Horton made an early exit from his last start on Tuesday due to back soreness, and a follow-up MRI revealed an unspecified issue in his ribcage, as manager Craig Counsell told reporters earlier this week. Horton threw in the outfield yesterday and was slated to throw a bullpen session today, yet those positive signs have now been abruptly overshadowed by the news of the IL placement.
In the best-case scenario, Horton is now out of action until at least Game 5 of the NLDS, should the Cubs make it that deep into the second playoff round. Given that narrow window for activation, it doesn’t seem likely that the Cubs would include him on an NLDS roster, so a more realistic scenario would see Horton return as part of the NLCS roster if he can get healthy.
Of course, Chicago’s chances at such a deep postseason run will be a lot more difficult without the rookie who has emerged as a key rotation piece. Horton figures to get plenty of NL Rookie of the Year votes in the wake of a debut season that has seen the right-hander post a 2.67 ERA over his first 118 innings in the bigs. A 4.26 SIERA reflects Horton’s underwhelming 20.4% strikeout rate and the good fortune he has enjoyed in the both of both a 78.3% strand rate and a .258 BABIP, but Horton’s 6.9% walk rate is very solid.
There’s also the fact that Horton (the seventh overall pick of the 2022 draft) was getting better as he gained more experience. He posted a 4.45 ERA across his first 56 2/3 innings, but then delivered just a 1.03 ERA over his next 12 starts and 61 1/3 frames. This was seemingly a good omen for Horton and the Cubs as the playoffs loomed, as the rookie had locked up a spot in Chicago’s postseason rotation.
The Cubs should have enough starting pitching options to get by, even if their depth chart has now been shortened. Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and either Colin Rea or Jameson Taillon will be the starters for the best-of-three Wild Card Series, and that quartet should line up as the rotation for the remainder of the postseason. Javier Assad is also in line to be at least a multi-inning reliever in October, and Counsell has indicated that he’ll use his entire pitching staff to navigate the playoffs, perhaps outside of traditional starter/reliever roles.
With two games left in the regular season, the Cubs are two games ahead of the Padres for the top NL wild card slot. Unless the Cubs go 0-2 and the Padres go 2-0 the rest of the way, their NLWCS will be played in Chicago, with Game 1 set for Tuesday.
Ok, so Shota has looked awful, Boyd hasn’t been good outside of his most recent start.. Taillon is probably their best starter with Horton out..
How it’ll probably go: Shota, Taillon, Boyd
How it should go: Boyd, Taillon, Rea
Great news for SD
Rea > Imanaga right now. Rea’s had 18 Ks and allowed only one earned run in his last two starts. Shota is lost as last year’s Easter eggs.
At least for me, changes who is the favorite in a Cubs versus Padres series. Maybe from Cubs 55 percent chance of winning down to Cubs 45 percent chance of winning.
The odds are now in San Diego’s favor. Cubs are going into this in survival mode.
If the bats get hot, they’ve got a shot.
Definitely need the bats to pickup the pitching, at the very least for this round.
It’ll be okay because at the trade deadline Jed Hoyer reinforced the pitching staff and solidified the bench. Oh wait, no he didn’t, all he did was get his own contract extended. Still waiting to see where the Bellinger $30 million salary dump went which ownership claimed wasn’t a dump but the money was “being repurposed”.
Much as I like to bash Hoyer I can’t for not trading the top of the pitching prospects for more rentals. I mean the Tucker thing really worked out right? This team will be much better in the future depending on what Jed does this off season as Ricketts doesn’t want deals past 2026 and Hoyer usually can’t keep it in his pants but he did at the deadline. I’ll applaud him for that, Hawkins stupid 2032 comment notwithstanding.
You’re ABSOLUTELY right. I would surely made a point of it because it would have been dumb. Think of the rotation at IOWA next year. Sanders, Noland, Wicks, Wiggins, Brown, Assad depending on who makes the rotation next year. Birdsell is out until 2027 unfortunately but you still have Horton, Boyd, Imanaga, Taillion(? maybe deal him?), Steele will be back sometime, Rea(?), maybe Civale IDK. Hoyer can be creative without breaking the bank for a starter unless he can trade for a young controllable one. The one phobia he really needs to get over is his fear of Closers. That could cement the bullpen with Keller, Palencia, Little should be here next year, Hodge and Neely get it together. Exciting times ahead by doing very little. But Jed likes shiny things but he doesn’t need one next year.
That completely sucks. Imanaga better learn how to keep the ball in the park fast as that thrusts Tallion into the top 3. Unless they want to use Rea. Neither option is favorable but saving Horton’s future is way more important.
I’d trust Rea way more than Shota right now.
Maybe. But I know Counsell won’t. Even though you could probably make that case in court.
Keeping the ball in the park has been Imanaga’s problem, even in Japan.
If the Cubs win Game 1 without having to use their entire bullpen, I won’t be surprised if CC uses a RH opener in front of Shota for Game 2.
Shota and his 89 mph fastballs vs Tatis-nice.
That homer problem is due to location not velocity.
Reds….he’s as true a troll as a true troll can be. His White Sox have lost 325 games over the last three seasons but he’s hanging his keyboard existence on Cubs losing only two next week. Wash, rinse, repeat, troll.
shawlocal.com/2014/06/05/cubs-call-on-crystal-lake…
Actually a Cub fan but I don’t buy the hype and react like a 10 yr old when their team is mocked. Pansys
It’s ok. Cubs did not have a chance anyways. Have been a middling team since ASB. Totally out of steam. Everyone can see it.
In less than 24 hours the Cubs and 11 other teams will be 0-0.
Two weeks ago the Cubs won 7 out of 8. Last week they lost five in a row. This week been banging the ball all over the park. NONE of it matters.
Clean slate come Tuesday for 12 teams. For eight teams it’s a race to 13….for the four others they need 11.
This news is a gut punch. Soul-crushing. It’s a game changer. Horton has been arguably the best Cubs starter post-ASB. Let’s hope Boyd has some gas left in his tank. Let’s hope Imanaga and Taillon can limit the dingers. Let’s hope Assad and Rea can eat some innings. Let’s hope Ben Brown is not on the roster. Cubs are still alive in 2025!
Brett Taylor was fooled as he always is, but the “area of concern” pretty much tipped off the rest of us.
Alan is our scrubbing bubble on Brett Taylor. He reads him so we don’t have to.
Glad to be of service. Taylor is insufferable.
Just saw an interview with Hoyer between innings of the game. He made sense, Answered questions logically and made points. I woke up this morning and there was a Twilight Zone on so I must have woke up in opposite world today.
Especially if you smelled cigarette smoke.
Tucker has good “plate coverage,” I suppose, but it’s the kind of plate coverage that results in lots of lazy flies to center.
If Tucker is so good, why doesn’t he ever do anything, you know, good? The *idea* of Tucker as a superstar somehow overwhelms the *reality* that he is mediocre.
Would Astros fans rather have had Tucker playing RF this year rather than Cam Smith and Jesus Sanchez?
That sucks, he’s been really good. Cubs need to survive the first round and hopefully he’ll back for the DS series.
Hey, Tucker ALMOST drove in a run there in the seventh. Almost is good, right?
It’s been reported he was injured during the playoff clinch celebration
Colin Rea is going to step up
Who can it be knocking at my door
Anyone else think the Cubs should have pitched Cade Horton less the last six weeks?
No. They needed him to get where they got to.
And the impulse to coddle pitchers to avoid injury, so au courant nowadays, is a dubious strategy at best anyway.
I read that the pathetic Padres fans are already making derisive comparisons to 1984. Cubs fans wouldn’t even think to think about that. It was 41 years ago, and the situation was vastly different. And besides, we have won the World Series since then, as they have not (never have), and won’t his seaon either, whatever happens at Wrigley Field this week.
Cubs kicked them and Dodgers around at beginning of season.. Don’t let Tatis or Machado beat you Cubs in 2
Tucker-lovers, look me in the eye and tell me you would rather see Tucker than Ballesteros come up to bat with the game on the line Tuesday.
Asa student of postmodernism, I am fascinated by Tucker. He is a kind of post-hitting hitter. He doesn’t get results–he doesn’t get hits–but he LOOKS so much the part of a hitter, that he is regarded as one. It isn’t just an emperor’s-new- clothes phenomenon; it is that you need to believe what you need to believe.
Mariners beat the Tigers and move on to face the Blue Jays. I hope that the Brewers will win game 5 vs the Cubs.