Right-hander Porter Hodge and left-hander Jordan Wicks are each dealing with arm problems and will probably start the season on the 15-day injured list, Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian). Hodge has a right flexor strain, while Wicks is dealing with radial nerve irritation in his left forearm.
Hodge hasn’t pitched since February 27, and he hasn’t looked right in any of his three Cactus League outings this spring, with a whopping 31.50 ERA to show for two innings of work. Counsell said Hodge’s flexor strain doesn’t appear to be serious in terms of a long-term absence, though the righty will be shut down for the next two weeks to heal up.
Wicks’ forearm issue was initially described just as irritation, with an MRI revealing no structural problems. Nerve problems can tend to linger, though the good news is that Wicks has been able to play catch, and Counsell is hopeful the southpaw will start throwing off a mound by the middle of March.
It was no guarantee that either pitcher was going to make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster, though today’s news means that both the rotation and bullpen depth charts have taken a hit. Wicks (the 21st overall pick of the 2021 draft) worked just as a reliever during his eight MLB appearances in 2025, though he has pitched mostly as a starter throughout the rest of his time in the majors and minors.
Despite his draft pedigree and some top-100 prospect attention during his time in the minors, Wicks has yet to establish himself as a big leaguer, with a modest 5.21 ERA, 18.5% strikeout rate, and 7.5% walk rate to show for 95 career innings with the Cubs. Past injuries haven’t helped (Wicks missed a big chunk of 2024 due to a forearm strain and an oblique strain), and Wicks spent 2025 being shuttled back and forth between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa with only sporadic usage in the majors.
Hodge burst onto the scene with a 1.88 ERA and 31.7% strikeout rate over 43 innings in his 2024 rookie season, albeit with the benefit of a .189 BABIP. Things didn’t go nearly as smoothly last year, as Hodge spent close to two months on the IL due to oblique and shoulder problems, and he posted only a 6.27 ERA over 33 innings of work. As per the SIERA metric, Hodge’s two big league seasons haven’t been too dissimilar (3.22 in 2024, 3.80 in 2025), and he remains an intriguing bullpen arm if he can stay healthy and figure out some control problems.
Sucks about Jordan Wicks he deserved more time in the majors last year and this already isn’t a good start for this season.
It became apparent in 2024 that whenever Wicks tries to throw hard enough to succeed in the majors, hr hurts his arm. Sometimes it’s that simple. Too bad for him and for us: he was a bad first-round pick.
Ballesteros is very good at pulling in his hands and hitting an inside-corner pitch hard through the right side. Different kind of player, obviously, but Bill Buckner was good at that. I think Ballesteros is going to get a lot of RBI’s this season, am excited about him.
Cubs bullpen is solid without Hodge but Id say Hicks is a dent in the LH depth to some extent.
Going to be jammed up when Steele returns.
Cut Rea? Option Assad? Option Horton? What if Taillon is the worst of the lot? Would the Cubs cut Taillon if he had an slow start to the season?
In some way it is an interesting situation because the Cubs aren’t likely to make a trade before their players show out in ’26. I could see them trading for a LHRP with options.
I think Reid Detmers makes sense for the Cubs.
Assad, Wicks and Hodge for Detmers could be good.
Did you really just say option Horton?? Smh
The only way Horton gets optioned is if they want to limit his innings without a phantom IL trip.
They are not going to cut Rea as long as he maintains a sub-5 ERA which is very likely. Rea is an asset as a 5th starter or in the bullpen.
Assad will probably bounce back and forth between majors and minors and he is an asset with that type of usage.
Boyd, Horton, Steele, Shota, Taillon. Rea definitely could leapfrog Taillon based on ST. Wiggins could be a factor by July.
Wicks is just organizational depth.
And Eddy Cabrera is frying eggs at the Golden Nugget?
Thanks for the catch. Cabrera is definitely after Boyd and Horton in my prognostication, but ahead of Taillon and maybe even Shota. Cabrera has mediocre stats outside of Miami last season so I have low expectations for him, but he unquestionably is top five of the rotation, my mistake.
Hunter Harvey was listed as starter for today, but didn’t pitch. I wonder if he was scratched because of a possible injury. It worries me, because all the other offseason FA relievers are soft tossers.
All 3 of them for Detmers!? Man, I actually don’t hate your idea to acquire Detmers, but that’s too much for him.
Would they DFA Shota ?
Assad and Rea are both better as #5 starters