Jed Hoyer Discusses Cubs’ Pitching Needs
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at the start of June that pitching was likely to be the team’s focus as they get closer to the August 3 trade deadline. That remains the case even as the offense has struggled this month, as they’re among a number of teams whose pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries.
“The conversations are certainly happening. You talk to teams about pitching. Usually, at this time of year, (talks) are still on the smaller side of those transactions,” Hoyer told The Mully & Haugh Show on 104.3 The Score on Tuesday morning. He pointed to the crowded playoff picture in both leagues leaving most teams still straddling the buyer/seller line this far out — a common refrain for front office personnel around the league.
“The major moves and significant transactions that people would talk about are much more likely to happen post All-Star Break or even closer to the deadline,” he noted. Hoyer added that the front office is looking for seemingly smaller ways to augment the pitching staff in the short term, using last year’s seemingly minor trade for Drew Pomeranz as one such example.
Those comments came before the Cubs lost Edward Cabrera to a hamstring strain this evening. He’ll join Cade Horton, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon on the shelf. Taillon will be down beyond the All-Star Break with a moderate hamstring strain, while Horton is done for the season after April’s Tommy John surgery. Steele hasn’t pitched since April 2025, as he suffered a flexor strain while rehabbing from his own elbow procedure.
While the Cubs are still holding out hope that Steele will be a factor this year, that’s not going to be out of the rotation. “Whether or not he can help us at the end of the season is unclear,” Hoyer told The Score when asked about the southpaw’s likelihood of contributing. “I think it’s unrealistic to think he’s going to be fully stretched out at any point, so if he does help us, I think it’s going to be in shorter bursts. … Expecting starts this year is unrealistic.”
The long-term hope is that Steele can return to the All-Star form he showed from 2023-24. It seems the ideal outcome for this season is that he can factor out of the bullpen and at least go into next offseason with a clean bill of health. Chicago already has a trio of left-handers in relief with Caleb Thielbar, Hoby Milner and Ryan Rolison. They’re reasonably well positioned in that regard but would surely welcome whatever contributions they can get from Steele if his arm holds up.
Chicago will get Matthew Boyd back from meniscus surgery to swap into Cabrera’s rotation spot in the short term. There’s not enough high-end starting pitching talent, as one would expect with arguably the team’s three most talented arms on the shelf.
Ben Brown has been the team’s best starter since drawing into the rotation when Boyd went down in early May. Shota Imanaga has struggled lately as his home run issues have resurfaced. Colin Rea and Javier Assad are swing types pressed into back-end rotation roles, while Jordan Wicks is the only healthy depth starter on the 40-man roster. Jaxon Wiggins, their most talented minor league arm, is working back from injury and has pitched a total of 12 2/3 innings this year.
As Hoyer mentioned, it’s unlikely any marquee starters will change teams within the next three to four weeks. Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, Casey Mize, Sonny Gray, Foster Griffin, Dustin May and Trevor Rogers are among impending free agents who could be on the move at the deadline. The Tigers, Mets, Red Sox and Orioles all entered the season hoping to compete, however, and they’re unlikely to commit to selling this early. The Nationals and Cardinals are right there alongside the Cubs in a crowded NL Wild Card field.
The Rockies don’t have any notable starting pitchers to offer. The Angels could (and probably should) market controllable arms Reid Detmers and José Soriano, but that’s not how they’ve operated under owner Arte Moreno. The Twins have been surprisingly competitive, which could lead them to hold Joe Ryan.
Among teams who expected to contend, only the Giants seem to have already moved toward selling. They’re nevertheless maintaining they don’t want to move ace Logan Webb. Impending free agent Robbie Ray should already be available, but he’s playing on a $25MM salary and has concerning walk and home run rates.
Latest On Justin Steele
The Cubs provided an update on left-hander Justin Steele this week, as relayed by Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. The southpaw has been cleared to progress to strengthening and then plyo balls but is still multiple weeks away from throwing a baseball.
Steele underwent surgery to address the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in April of last year. He was throwing off a mound by January of 2026 and there was some optimism about a fairly early return this season. That didn’t come to pass. He hit a setback in late April when he suffered a flexor strain, with manager Craig Counsell saying at that time that they no longer expected Steele back before the All-Star break.
Counsell tried to frame this week’s update as positive, in the sense that Steele is now going to start progressing through some standard recovery steps. However, it does feel as though his timeline has been pushed again. As laid out by Sharma, even in a best-case scenario, Steele will start throwing again in the middle of June. After ramping up for a bit, he could go out on a rehab assignment in July and perhaps return in August. Any further setbacks would start to put his season in jeopardy.
“We’re just hopeful to get him back,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said this week. “Obviously, there comes a point where you run out of days, but I don’t think we’re there yet. I know Justin wants to come back more than anything.”
It’s a frustrating situation for Steele and the team. The lefty was a solid member of the rotation from 2022 to 2024, posting a 3.10 earned run average in 78 starts. He was only able to make four starts in 2025 before getting injured. Whether he can top four starts this year is up in the air. Even if he does beat that figure, it won’t be by much.
As of a few months ago, the Cubs were dreaming of a scenario where their rotation core consisted of Steele, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd this summer. Instead, all four are on the IL. Horton required Tommy John surgery in April and is done for the year. Boyd had meniscus surgery in May and is still on the mend. Cabrera landed on the shelf last week due to a blister.
That has left the Cubs with a starting group consisting of Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea, Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks. Brown is running with the opportunity, with a 2.01 ERA on the year. Imanaga and Rea are posting passable numbers. Taillon has a 5.37 ERA thanks to a spike in home runs. Wicks just got called up from the minors and his first start of the year didn’t go well, as he allowed eight earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
There’s obviously a big gap between the way the Cubs drew it up and the way it’s playing out. There is some good news in the short term. Sharma relays that Cabrera is expected to return after a minimal stint, so he could be back in about a week. The plan for Boyd is for him to make two rehab starts, the first of which is scheduled for Sunday, so he could be back in a couple of weeks. If everyone else stays healthy, the returns of Cabrera and Boyd could push Wicks back to the minors and someone else to the bullpen.
Those tidbits are somewhat encouraging but also come with asterisks. Cabrera has dealt with blisters throughout his career, with IL stints for them in 2021 and 2025. He’s also been fairly prone to injuries more broadly, having hit 100 innings in a season just once in his career. Boyd also has a spotty health track record, with just one season over 80 innings in this decade.
Even if that group stays somewhat stable for the next few months, it seems fair to expect the Cubs to be looking for more starting pitching this summer. Steele’s status might be more clear as the August 3rd deadline approaches but it will probably be hard to rely on him galloping in to save the day, based on how things have played out this year.
Photo courtesy of Ed Szczepanski, Imagn Images
Justin Steele Out Beyond All-Star Break Due To Flexor Strain
4:40pm: Manager Craig Counsell tells 104.3 The Score that Steele has a flexor strain and will be re-evaluated in a month. The skipper tells Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network that Steele is no longer expected back before the All-Star Break.
3:55pm: Cubs left-hander Justin Steele has hit a setback in his recovery from last year’s elbow surgery, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The specifics of the setback aren’t clear but Rogers suggests that Steele’s return timeline is likely to be pushed into the future.
Steele underwent surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in April of 2025. The Cubs called it a “revision repair”, something less than a full Tommy John surgery, and suggested Steele could be back in about a year’s time. He was throwing off a mound by the end of January 2026, creating some hope that he could return fairly early in 2026.
The Cubs put Steele on the 60-day injured list just as the season was beginning, meaning he couldn’t officially return prior to late May. Even that timeline may no longer be on the table, as Rogers says the plan of returning by Memorial Day may now be in jeopardy.
Further details will likely be forthcoming from the club prior to tonight’s game. Whenever Steele is finally healthy, it will still be a while before he can rejoin the club. He’ll need to build up through the standard steps of throwing bullpens, then live batting practice, then a rehab assignment, with that overall process to take at least a few weeks.
It’s the latest bit of rough injury news for the Cubs. They have had a number of pitchers hit the injured list this year. In terms of quantity, most of the guys on the IL have been relievers. But the most notable blow has been that starter Cade Horton required Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
As of a few weeks ago, it was possible to imagine the Chicago rotation having Steele, Horton and Edward Cabrera in the top three spots. Now Horton is ruled out completely and Steele is up in the air. Cabrera has a 2.73 earned run average but with some worrying signs under the hood. His four-seam velocity is down more than a tick, having gone from last year’s 97 miles per hour to this year’s 95.7. His strikeout rate has also fallen, sitting at 18.5% this year, a huge drop from the 25.8% rate he had in 2025.
The current rotation is therefore lacking in upside compared to the theoretical one they could have had. Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga and Colin Rea are talented pitchers but the whole group would be better if Steele and Horton were in it and if Cabrera was shoving more concretely.
Despite all the injuries, the Cubs have a strong 17-12 record. Assuming they stay in contention for the next few months, they were likely going to be looking for rotation upgrades to replace Horton. If Steele’s setback proves significant, then that should only increase their urgency there. If another injury pops up in the meantime, Javier Assad is probably the next man up, as he is currently pitching in long relief out of the bullpen.
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
Cubs Place Justin Steele On 60-Day IL, Designate Jack Neely For Assignment
The Cubs announced that left-hander Justin Steele has been placed on the 60-day injured list and right-hander Jack Neely has been designated for assignment. Those moves open two 40-man spots for outfielder Michael Conforto and infielder/outfielder Scott Kingery. It had been reported in recent days that Conforto would make the team, with Kingery likely being added as well.
Steele is working back from last April’s UCL surgery. He has advanced to facing hitters in live batting practice sessions, according to the MLB.com injury tracker. The Cubs apparently don’t feel he’ll be ready for major league action within the first two months of the season, though. Steele could go on a minor league rehab assignment towards the end of April with an eye to making his season debut in late May.
Neely, a 25-year-old reliever, made six appearances late in the 2024 season. He gave up six runs in as many innings. A former 11th-round pick of the Yankees, he was traded to the Cubs just before his MLB debut as part of the return for Mark Leiter Jr. Neely spent all of last season in the minors, struggling to a 6.23 ERA across 30 1/3 innings.
The righty has a sinker-slider combination that misses bats but which he struggles to command. Neely struck out 28% of opponents while issuing walks at an untenable 19% rate in Triple-A last season. He’s likely to wind up on waivers this week. Neely has one minor league option year remaining and wouldn’t need to be on the MLB roster if another team takes a flier on the stuff.
Conforto and Kingery secure the final two position player jobs, beating out fellow non-roster invitee Chas McCormick in that role. Matt Shaw and backup catcher Miguel Amaya fill out Craig Counsell’s four-man bench.
Cubs Notes: Steele, Busch, Long
Cubs fans got some exciting news today about the status of left-hander Justin Steele. Steele himself told reporters (including Mark Gonzales) earlier today that he has reached the point in his rehab where he no longer needs to visit with Dr. Keith Meister, who performed Steele’s UCL revision surgery last year. Gonzales adds that Steele is stretched out to between 35 and 40 pitches in his bullpen sessions, while Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports that Steele is on track for a return to the big leagues at some point in May or June.
It’s a major hurdle that Steele has now cleared, although his timeline is not significantly altered from where it’s been throughout Spring Training to this point. Even so, it’s an encouraging update for Cubs fans given Steele’s importance to the club’s rotation. An All-Star and fifth place finisher in NL Cy Young award voting back in 2023, Steele posted a 3.07 ERA and 3.11 FIP with a 24.5% strikeout rate in 54 starts across his last two healthy seasons. That’s the production of a front-of-the-rotation starter, which the Cubs sorely lacked during the playoffs last year. Both Steele and Cade Horton were on the injured list, while Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga had both worn down over the course of the season and struggled in their NLDS starts against the Brewers.
Perhaps in an effort to avoid a similar outcome late in the season this year, the Cubs have built a deep rotation by re-signing Imanaga and trading for right-hander Edward Cabrera. Imanaga, Cabrera, Horton, Boyd, and Jameson Taillon are all surefire locks for rotation roles this year, and that could leave the Cubs looking to expand to a six-man rotation when Steele returns if the rest of that group is healthy at that point in the season. Of course, with depth starters like Colin Rea, Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, and Ben Brown also in the mix for starts, it’s possible the Cubs could opt for a six-man rotation even in the event of an injury or two.
Turning to the lineup, last week’s news of an injury to newly-signed slugger Tyler Austin that will sideline him for “months” created plenty of questions about the first base position. While Michael Busch has handled the position capably over the past two seasons and is currently healthy, he’s also been heavily platoon protected over the past two years. Whether due to Austin’s injury or his breakout campaign last year, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic writes that Busch is set to play on an everyday basis this year, including against southpaws. Manager Craig Counsell indicated (as relayed by Mooney) that Busch has “earned” the opportunity to be a full-time player at this point, though he added that the 28-year-old will now have to prove himself capable of handling those additional responsibilities.
Busch posted an 81 wRC+ against southpaws last year, and has a lifetime 87 wRC+ against lefties overall. Those aren’t particularly exciting numbers, but there are everyday players at first base with weaker numbers against lefties. Vinnie Pasquantino of the Royals, for example, had a 63 wRC+ against same-handed pitching and sports an 87 mark for his career that’s identical to Busch’s. Busch’s predecessor at first base for the Cubs, multi-time All-Star Anthony Rizzo, posted worse numbers against lefties than Busch has through the first three seasons of his career before growing into a full-time role and hitting well against both lefties and righties alike later on. With Austin unable to play at least the next couple of months anyway, it makes plenty of sense for the Cubs to give Busch the opportunity to prove himself.
That’s particularly true given the status of top first base prospect Jonathon Long. Long is one of the better prospects in the Cubs’ system, a ninth-round pick in the 2023 draft who slashed .305/.404/.479 in 140 games at Triple-A during his age-23 campaign last year. He’d be a logical replacement for Austin on the Cubs’ bench if the team was looking for a platoon partner for Busch, but he’s dealing with some injury woes himself at the moment. As noted by MLB.com, Long has been sidelined due to a sprained left elbow since February 21, and while he’s recently resumed light baseball activity Counsell indicated that the youngster has not recovered as quickly as the Cubs were hoping. It’s unclear what sort of timeline Long is facing for a return to action, but as a youngster who has not yet made his MLB debut it goes without saying that a notable Spring Training injury substantially lowers the odds of him being able to snag a spot on the team’s bench come Opening Day.
NL Central Notes: Saggese, Grichuk, Steele, Urias
The Cardinals are known to be looking for outfield help, and preferably a right-handed bat given previous statements from president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom. Adding a free agent is still a possibility, though Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cards “have not expressed much interest in” Randal Grichuk, and target Austin Hays chose the White Sox over the Cardinals in part because Chicago was offering more playing time.
Rather than bring in a new player, the Cards are also exploring internal options by using Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin as outfielders this spring. This isn’t anything new for Fermin, who has played six MLB games and 19 minor league games as an outfielder in addition to his larger amount of playing time at second, third and shortstop. For career infielder Saggese, he told Goold that he hasn’t played in the outfield since he was 10 years old.
Nonetheless, adding to his defensive versatility should help Saggese in his bid for more playing time. Saggese drew some top-100 prospect attention prior to his big league debut in 2024, though he has hit only .250/.292/.336 over the small sample size of 347 Major League plate appearances. Sticking in the infield could be tricky with Masyn Winn at shortstop, top prospect JJ Wetherholt on the verge of his MLB debut (likely at second base), and Nolan Gorman penciled in for third base. It could be that St. Louis is trying to mold Saggese into a right-handed hitting version of the now-traded Brendan Donovan, as a super-utility option who can be bounced around the diamond.
More from around the NL Central…
- Justin Steele told Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times that his rehab work has progressed to 30-pitch bullpen sessions, and he is planning to return to the Cubs rotation in May or June. Steele underwent a UCL revision surgery last April that included the installation of an internal brace in his elbow, and “as I started throwing again, it felt the same. There was no difference — whereas the first Tommy John I had [in 2017], it felt like I had a new arm, I had to re-learn how to use it.” It remains to be seen if Steele can immediately recapture his old form once he returns, but having a former All-Star back should provide a nice boost for the Cubs in their request to return to the postseason.
- Before Luis Rengifo was signed to a one-year, $3.5MM guarantee on Friday, the Brewers also had interest in free agent infielder Ramon Urias, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Since Milwaukee apparently plans to use Rengifo primarily as a third baseman, Rosenthal notes that the signing was “somewhat curious” from a glovework perspective — Urias was the AL Gold Glove winner at third base in 2022, and his career defensive metrics at both second and third base are far superior to Rengifo’s numbers. The Brewers are the first team known to have interest in Urias since the Astros non-tendered him in November rather than pay a projected $4.4MM in arbitration salary. Urias had a 108 wRC+ (from a .262/.328/.408 slash line) over 1465 PA in part-time action with the Orioles from 2020-24, but he slumped to an 87 wRC+ and a .241/.292/.384 slash in 391 PA with Baltimore and Houston in 2025.
Players Who Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins
Most of the clubs in the league currently have a full 40-man roster, which means that just about every transaction requires a corresponding move. Some extra roster flexibility is on the way, however. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.
Most clubs have a slightly earlier report date this year due to the World Baseball Classic. Last year, the Cubs and Dodgers had earlier report dates because they were had an earlier Opening Day than everyone else as part of the Tokyo Series. Gavin Stone was the first player to land on the 60-day IL in 2025, landing there on February 11th. According to MLB.com, every club has a report date from February 10th to 13th this year.
It’s worth pointing out that the 60 days don’t start being counted until Opening Day. Although a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL quite soon, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until late May or beyond. A team also must have a full 40-man roster in order to move a player to the 60-day IL.
There are still plenty of free agents still out there, including big names like Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Justin Verlander, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, and more. Perhaps the extra roster flexibility will spur some deals to come together. It could also increase the ability of some clubs to make waiver claims or small trades for players who have been designated for assignment. If a team wants to pass a player through waivers, perhaps they will try to do so in the near future before the extra roster flexibility opens up.
Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time or who have uncertain recovery timelines from 2025 injuries.
Angels: Anthony Rendon, Ben Joyce
Rendon’s situation is unique. He underwent hip surgery a year ago and missed the entire 2025 season. He is still on the roster and signed through 2026. He and the club have agreed to a salary-deferment plan and he is not expected to be in spring training with the club. His recovery timeline is unclear, but general manager Perry Minasian said earlier this month that Rendon would be “rehabbing at home,” per Alden González of ESPN. If they were going to release him, they likely would have done so by now, so he seems destined for the injured list.
Joyce underwent shoulder surgery in May and missed the remainder of the 2025 season. His current status is unclear. In August, he told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he didn’t know if he would be ready for spring training. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the Halos don’t expect him back before the end of May.
Astros: Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco, Brandon Walter
All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025. Wesneski was first, with his surgery taking place on May 23rd. Blanco followed shortly thereafter in early June. They will likely be targeting returns in the second half. Walter’s procedure was in September, meaning he will likely miss the entire season. All three should be on the 60-day IL as soon as Houston needs roster spots for other transactions.
Athletics: Zack Gelof
Gelof underwent surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder in September, with the expectation of him potentially being healthy for spring training. At the end of December, general manager David Forst told Martín Gallegos of MLB.com that Gelof would be “a little bit behind” in spring. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the A’s think he’ll be out through late May.
Blue Jays: Jake Bloss
Bloss underwent surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in May. He was on optional assignment at the time and stayed in the minors for the rest of the season. Going into 2026, the Jays could keep him in the minors but they could also call him up and place him on the major league IL. Doing so would open up a roster spot but would also mean giving Bloss big league pay and service time.
Braves: Ha-Seong Kim, AJ Smith-Shawver, Danny Young, Joe Jiménez
Kim recently fell on some ice and injured his hand. He underwent surgery last week, and the expected recovery time is four to five months. The shorter end of that window only goes to mid-May, so perhaps Atlanta will hold off on making a decision until they watch his recovery, especially since they have other guys with clearer injury timelines.
Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June, so he shouldn’t be back until the second half and is therefore a lock for the 60-day IL once Atlanta needs a spot. Young underwent the same procedure in May, so he should also be bound for the IL.
Jimenez is more of a question mark. He missed the 2025 season due to left knee surgery. He required a “cleanup” procedure on that knee towards the end of the season. His timeline isn’t currently clear.
Brewers: None.
Cardinals: None.
Cubs: Justin Steele
Steele will probably be a bit of a borderline case. He underwent UCL surgery in April but it wasn’t a full Tommy John surgery. The Cubs described it as a “revision repair”. Steele had undergone Tommy John in 2017 as a minor leaguer.
Since Steele’s more recent procedure was a bit less serious than a full Tommy John, the club gave an estimated return timeline of about one year, putting him in line to potentially return fairly early in 2026. Given his importance to the Cubs, they would only put him on the 60-day IL if his timeline changes and he’s certain to be out through late May.
Diamondbacks: Corbin Burnes, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., A.J. Puk, Justin Martínez, Blake Walston, Tyler Locklear
The Snakes were hit hard by the injury bug in 2025. Burnes, Walston and Martínez all underwent Tommy John surgery. Burnes and Martínez had their procedures in June, so they should be targeting second-half returns and be easy calls for the 60-day IL. Walston would be a bit more borderline because his surgery was around Opening Day in late March last year. Puk had the slightly less significant internal brace procedure in June, so he could also be a borderline case.
Turning to the position players, Gurriel tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in September. He required surgery which came with a return timeline of nine to ten months, so he should be out until around the All-Star break.
Locklear should be back sooner. He underwent surgery in October to address a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder. The hope at the time of that procedure was that he would be game ready to go on a rehab assignment around Opening Day and would therefore miss only about the first month. He would therefore only hit the 60-day IL if he doesn’t meet that timeline for some reason.
Dodgers: Brock Stewart
Stewart underwent shoulder debridement surgery in September. His timeline for 2026 isn’t especially clear. He will likely start the season on the IL but it’s unclear if he’ll be out long enough to warrant landing on the 60-day version.
Giants: Randy Rodríguez, Jason Foley
Rodríguez underwent Tommy John surgery in September, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL and might even miss the entire 2026 campaign. Foley’s status is a bit more murky. He underwent shoulder surgery in May while with the Tigers. Detroit non-tendered him at season’s end, which allowed the Giants to sign him. He is expected back at some point mid-season. The Giants may want to get more clarity on his progress during camp before deciding on a move to the IL.
Guardians: Andrew Walters, David Fry
Neither of these guys is a lock for the 60-day IL. Walters had surgery to repair his right lat tendon in June with a recovery estimate of eight to ten months. Fry underwent surgery in October due to a deviated septum and a fractured nose suffered when a Tarik Skubal pitch hit him in the face. His timeline is unclear. It’s possible one or both could be healthy by Opening Day, so relevant updates may be forthcoming when camps open.
Mariners: Logan Evans
Evans required UCL surgery just last week and will miss the entire 2026 season. He was on optional assignment at the end of 2025, so the Mariners could keep him in the minors. Calling him up and putting him on the big league 60-day IL would open up a 40-man spot but would also involve Evans receiving big league pay and service time for the year.
Marlins: Ronny Henriquez
Henriquez underwent internal brace surgery in December and will miss the entire 2026 season, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL.
Mets: Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez
All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery late in 2025 and are likely to miss the entire 2026 season, making them locks for the 60-day IL. Núñez went under the knife in July, followed by Megill in September and Garrett in October.
Nationals: Trevor Williams, DJ Herz
Williams underwent internal brace surgery in July. That’s a slightly less serious variation of Tommy John but still usually requires about a year of recovery. Herz underwent a full Tommy John procedure in April. Since that surgery usually requires 14 months or longer to come back, both pitchers are likely out until around the All-Star break and therefore bound for the 60-day IL once the Nats need some roster spots.
Orioles: Félix Bautista
Bautista underwent shoulder surgery in August, and the club announced his recovery timeline as 12 months. He’s a lock for the 60-day IL and may miss the entire season if his recovery doesn’t go smoothly.
Padres: Yu Darvish, Jhony Brito, Jason Adam
Darvish underwent UCL surgery in November and will miss the entire 2026 season. Instead of going on the IL, he may just retire, but it seems there are some contractual complications to be ironed out since he is signed through 2028.
Brito and Adam could be borderline cases. Brito underwent internal brace surgery in May of last year. Some pitchers can return from that procedure in about a year. Adam ruptured a tendon in his left quad in early September. In November, he seemed to acknowledge that he wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day. As of now, a trip to the 60-day IL seems unlikely unless he suffers a setback.
Pirates: Jared Jones
Jones required UCL surgery on May 21st of last year. The Bucs announced an expected return timeline of 10 to 12 months. The shorter end of that window would allow Jones to return fairly early in 2026. If it looks like he’ll be on the longer end of that time frame, he could wind up on the 60-day IL.
Phillies: Zack Wheeler
Wheeler underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome in September, with a timeline of six to eight months. As of now, it seems unlikely Wheeler would require a trip to the 60-day IL, but it depends on how his ramp-up goes. He’s also approaching his 36th birthday, and the Phils could slow-play his recovery.
Rangers: Cody Bradford
Bradford required internal brace surgery in late June of last year. He recently said he’s targeting a return in May. That’s a pretty aggressive timeline, but perhaps the Rangers will delay moving him to the 60-day IL until that plan is strictly ruled out.
Rays: Manuel Rodríguez
Rodriguez underwent flexor tendon surgery in July of last year and is targeting a return in June of this year, so he should be a lock for the 60-day IL.
Reds: Brandon Williamson, Julian Aguiar
Both of these pitchers required Tommy John surgeries late in 2024, Williamson in September and Aguiar in October. They each missed the entire 2025 season. Presumably, they are recovered by now and could be healthy going into 2026, but there haven’t been any recent public updates.
Red Sox: Tanner Houck, Triston Casas
Houck is the most clear-cut case for Boston. He had Tommy John surgery in August of 2025 and will miss most or perhaps all of the 2026 season. Casas is more borderline. He’s still recovering from a ruptured left patellar tendon suffered in May of last year. It doesn’t seem like he will be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline apart from that is murky.
Rockies: Jeff Criswell, Kris Bryant
Criswell required Tommy John surgery in early March of last year. With the normal 14-month recovery timeline, he could be back in May. Anything slightly longer than that would make him a candidate for the 60-day IL. Bryant’s timeline is very difficult to discern. He has hardly played in recent years due to various injuries and is now dealing with chronic symptoms related to lumbar degenerative disc disease. Updates will likely be provided once camp opens.
Royals: Alec Marsh
Marsh missed 2025 due to shoulder problems and is slated to miss 2026 as well after undergoing labrum surgery in November.
Tigers: Jackson Jobe
Jobe required Tommy John surgery in June of last year. He will miss most or perhaps even all of the 2026 season.
Twins: None.
White Sox: Ky Bush, Drew Thorpe, Prelander Berroa
These three hurlers all required Tommy John surgery about a year ago, Bush in February, followed by Berroa and Thorpe in March. Given the normal 14-month recovery period, any of them could return early in 2026, but they could also end up on the 60-day IL if the timeline pushes slightly beyond that.
Yankees: Clarke Schmidt, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Anthony Volpe
Schmidt is the only lock of this group. He required UCL surgery in July of last year and should miss the first half of the 2026 season. Cole is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March of last year. His target is expected to be late May/early June, so he has a decent chance to hit the 60-day. However, given his importance to the club, the Yankees probably won’t put him there until it’s certain he won’t be back by the middle of May.
Rodón had surgery in October to remove loose bodies in his elbow. He’s expected to be back with the big league club in late April or early May, so he would only hit the 60-day IL if his timeline is pushed. Volpe required shoulder surgery in October. He’s not expected to be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline beyond that doesn’t seem concrete.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
Latest On Justin Steele’s Rehab
When the Cubs made it back to the postseason in 2025, they did so short-handed. The club had lost staff ace Justin Steele just four starts into his 2025 season to UCL revision surgery. That procedure, which Steele underwent in mid-April of last year, came with an initial recovery timeline of roughly one year. There’s been minimal updates on Steele’s status since then, but the left-hander (as noted by MLB.com) took a big step forward in his rehab last week when he threw off a mound for the first time since going under the knife.
In an interview with Elise Menaker of Marquee Sports Network, Steele noted that while he doesn’t have a specific timeline for his return to the majors, he expects to face hitters at some point during Spring Training and added that he’s not only suffered no setbacks but is “ahead of schedule, if anything.” That’s certainly a positive sign for Cubs fans who are hoping to see Steele back on the mound early in the 2026 campaign. The team returns its entire rotation from 2025 but could benefit this year from a full season from Rookie of the Year runner-up Cade Horton and the addition of right-hander Edward Cabrera, who the Cubs swung a deal to land from the Marlins earlier this month.
With Cabrera, Horton, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Colin Rea all set to be on the big league roster to start the year (to say nothing of depth options like Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, and Ben Brown behind that group), the team’s crowded rotation mix could lead the Cubs to be a bit more careful with Steele’s rehab than they otherwise might be. After all, there are nine other starters on the team’s 40-man roster, before getting into the possibility that top prospect Jaxon Wiggins debuts at some point this year and the ability for a non-roster arm like Connor Noland to chip in some innings as well.
Steele himself acknowledged in his interview with Menaker that Dr. Keith Meister (who performed Steele’s surgery back in April) will likely suggest some sort of full-season innings limit for the lefty as he works his way back onto the mound. After adding Cabrera and Alex Bregman to a team that came within one game of the NLCS last year, the Cubs certainly have hopes of playing deep into October this year. They’ll also surely want a healthy Steele to be part of those playoff plans, so if Chicago’s rotation mix is mostly healthy throughout the first half of the season it could make sense for the team to slow-play Steele’s rehab and focus on having innings left to work with come the postseason.
Of course, health in the rotation is no guarantee. Imanaga, Horton, Taillon, and Cabrera all spent time on the injured list last year, while 2025 was Boyd’s first time making 30 starts in a year since 2018. Any of those pitchers once again needing significant time on the shelf this year can’t be ruled out, and slow-playing Steele’s rehab could leave them in position to be caught short-handed if the team’s rotation struggles to stay healthy early in the year. While players like Assad, Brown, and Wicks are quality depth, it’s difficult to argue that a version of Steele that’s even just approaching full strength wouldn’t be a safer bet to produce than that trio of youngsters.
Steele’s been one of the most effective starters in baseball since he broke out midway through the 2022 season, and since that time only nine pitchers (min. 300 innings pitched) have a lower ERA. That group of nine names is a who’s who of the leagues top aces, ranging from Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Shohei Ohtani to Chris Sale, Max Fried, and Zack Wheeler. It would be difficult to leave that sort of upside on the sidelines for longer than absolutely necessary, especially when Chicago will be looking to chase down a Brewers team that both won the NL Central crown last year and also knocked them out of the playoffs back in October. However the Cubs ultimately decide to handle Steele’s rehab, they surely won’t make any firm decisions until Spring Training gets underway and they have a better understanding of the other pitchers on the roster in terms of their own health.
MLBTR Podcast: Justin Steele, Triston McKenzie, And Tons Of Prospect Promotions
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Cubs’ rotation outlook after Justin Steele’s UCL surgery (1:15)
- The Guardians designating Triston McKenzie for assignment (7:30)
- The Athletics promoting prospect Nick Kurtz (16:10)
- The White Sox promoting prospect Edgar Quero (20:55)
- The Rays promoting prospect Chandler Simpson (26:45)
- The Marlins promoting prospect Agustín Ramírez (33:30)
- The Twins promoting prospect Luke Keaschall (38:30)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Can high-caliber early-career players like Paul Skenes demand trades or are they stuck where they are? (44:45)
- With constant injuries and DFAs, could the new CBA lead to some changes in roster rules? (49:25)
Check out our past episodes!
- Free Agent Power Rankings – listen here
- Vlad’s Massive Deal, Extensions for Merrill and Marte, And Quinn Priester Traded – listen here
- Garrett Crochet’s Extension, Problems In Atlanta, And Other Early-Season Storylines – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
Cubs Sign Nicky Lopez, Designate Gage Workman
The Cubs announced Wednesday that they’ve signed infielder Nicky Lopez to a big league deal. Infielder and Rule 5 pick Gage Workman was designated for assignment to open a spot on the roster. Photographer Sam Bernero first spotted Lopez heading into Wrigley Field this afternoon and tweeted out a photo she snapped. Shane Riordan of 670 The Score subsequently reported that Lopez, an Octagon client, was signing a major league deal.
Chicago also selected the contract of recently acquired lefty Drew Pomeranz, optioned righty Gavin Hollowell to Triple-A Iowa and transferred lefty Justin Steele from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL (thus opening a 40-man spot for Pomeranz). Steele recently underwent elbow surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2025 season, so his move to the 60-day IL was a formality.
Lopez was with the Cubs as a non-roster invitee in spring training but didn’t make the Opening Day club. He opted out of that deal and signed with the Angels, who needed some infield depth due to a handful of injuries. The Halos reinstated shortstop Zach Neto last week and designated Lopez for assignment, after which he elected free agency.
The 30-year-old Lopez appeared in five games and was hitless in six plate appearances in his short stint with the Angels. He’ll hope for a larger look with the Cubs, who have some questions in the infield after optioning struggling top prospect Matt Shaw and seeing the now-designated-for-assignment Workman struggle at the hot corner as well. Veteran utilityman Jon Berti has been seeing more time at third base recently, though he hasn’t hit much either — just .250/.344/.250 in an admittedly small sample of 32 plate appearances.
Lopez, like Berti, brings a versatile and high quality glove to the Cubs. He’s spent the bulk of his career in the middle infield where he grades as a plus-plus defender at both positions. He’s less experienced at third base but still has strong grades in nearly 400 frames there (7 Defensive Runs Saved, 6 Outs Above Average).
Excellent as Lopez is on the defensive side of the coin, his bat leaves plenty to be desired. He’s a career .247/.311/.313 hitter in 2352 plate appearances at the MLB level, and even that modest production is skewed by what now looks like a clear outlier campaign in 2021, when he batted .300/.365/.378. In three-plus seasons since that time, Lopez has limped to a .232/.301/.286 line between the Royals, Braves, White Sox and Angels.
Workman, 25, was selected out of the Tigers organization in December’s Rule 5 Draft and made the Opening Day roster after he hit .364/.420/.705 in 50 spring plate appearances. He hasn’t carried that outstanding production over to the regular season. He’s appeared in nine games but tallied only 15 plate appearances, during which he’s gone 2-for-14 with a walk. Workman never got a true look with the Cubs, which isn’t surprising, as it’s difficult for contending clubs to carry a career minor leaguer who can’t be optioned to the minors.
Workman is viewed as a plus defender at third base with plenty of raw power and too much swing-and-miss in his offensive profile. He spent the 2024 season with the Tigers’ Double-A affiliate, where he batted .280/.366/.476 with 18 homers, 30 steals, an 11.7% walk rate and a bloated 27.5% strikeout rate in his third season of action at that level. He’s yet to appear in a Triple-A game.
Now that he’s been designated for assignment, Workman will be placed on outright waivers and offered to the rest of the league (excluding the Tigers). If he goes unclaimed, he will by rule be offered back to the Tigers for $50K.
The veteran Pomeranz hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2021 due to a lengthy series of injuries. He inked a minor league deal with the Mariners in the offseason and tossed 9 2/3 frames with their Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma before being traded to the Cubs for cash. He allowed five earned runs (4.66 ERA) on nine hits and six walks (plus two hit batsmen) during that short stint with Tacoma. Clearly, Pomeranz’s command was an issue, but he also fanned 14 of his 43 opponents (32.6%) and sat 92.3 mph on his heater — a good bit north of the 90-91 mph he was sitting at during minor league stints with the Padres and Dodgers over the past two seasons.