Cubs' Story of Resilience Bears Repeating As Injury Analysis Reveals How Much They've Lost

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

For as good as the 2026 Chicago Cubs have been, they’ve certainly battled their fair share of injuries. The team has been dealing with a plethora of ailments for most of the year, with the pitching staff taking the biggest hit. Though, to be sure, the lineup has also been forced to navigate some notable absences. And yet, despite all of that, the Cubs remain well ahead of the pack in the NL Wild Card picture.

Of course, every fanbase manages to complain about injuries and how banged up their team is over the course of a season. But good news, Cubs fans: We actually can! In a recent FanGraphs article examining which teams have suffered the most due to injuries, the Cubs landed tied for the seventh-most potential WAR lost in baseball. According to ZiPS projections, Chicago has lost 10.0 potential WAR to injuries this season, trailing only six teams. And it becomes even more interesting when looking at the other end of the equation. The Cubs also have the fifth-most potential injury WAR remaining in baseball, with another 3.6 WAR potentially still on the table. Only the Red Sox, Athletics, Tigers and Yankees have more.

Now, it’s important to note that this isn’t saying the Cubs would actually have 10 additional wins if everyone had stayed healthy; they’re projections. Still, it’s a pretty remarkable number for a team that has still managed to play so well despite the absences. So, how exactly did Chicago get there?

Cubs' Injury Onslaught Has Cost Them So Much Production

What better place to start than the pitching staff? The Cubs have seen both their starting rotation and bullpen get absolutely obliterated by injuries this season. Cade Horton made one full start before leaving his second outing, eventually undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery in April. Justin Steele, meanwhile, has missed the entire season, removing two important pieces from Chicago’s rotation before the year even had a chance to fully get going.

Then there’s Ben Brown, Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd, all of whom have missed significant time at different points throughout the season. Cabrera is particularly notable because Chicago acquired him in the offseason with the expectation that he would be an important piece of the rotation. He made one start after returning from his previous injury before being sent right back to the injured list, where he’s expected to remain through at least the end of August.

But if you thought that was bad, the bullpen has been equally (if not more) decimated. Daniel Palencia has missed most of the season, while Riley Martin and Gavin Hollowell have also spent significant time on the shelf. Phil Maton and Hoby Milner have each missed substantial portions of the year as well.

Considering all of that, it’s honestly pretty impressive that the pitching staff has held together as well as it has. The Cubs have had to continually shuffle their depth chart, finding replacements and asking other arms to take on larger roles than originally expected. The fact that they’re still 20 games above .500 is a testament to the organization’s depth and its ability to survive these injuries.

It’s also not like the offense has had a perfect bill of health, either. Matt Shaw has been out since late June with a sprained left hand, although he is now on a rehab assignment. Seiya Suzuki also missed time earlier in the season, while Dansby Swanson was recently placed on the injured list with a strained oblique.

Swanson is the biggest concern at this point. He could potentially miss the remainder of the regular season, and depending on his recovery, there’s even a chance his injury could sideline the Cubs’ shortstop into the postseason.  So, while the offense has been considerably healthier than its pitching staff, it certainly hasn’t been immune to the injury bug.

And that brings us back to the FanGraphs list. They still have 3.6 projected WAR remaining on the injured list, which ranks fifth in the league.

That number could obviously change quickly. Brown could return soon, Shaw is on the mend, and with the Cubs sitting pretty in the playoff picture, they can afford to be a little more patient. But Horton is done for the year, and there are still several bullpen arms sidelined. There’s a legitimate possibility that Chicago’s injury situation continues to be a factor all the way into September and October.

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