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    Oh No: Cade Horton Leaves in 2nd Inning of Cubs Game Against Guardians

    Arguably, the best reason to believe the 2026 Cubs can overcome the Milwaukee Brewers to win the NL Central—and, indeed, to make a deep run in October—is the presence of Cade Horton at the top of their rotation. On Friday, Horton felt something and left his start abruptly. Yikes.

    Matthew Trueblood
    Image courtesy of © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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    The Cubs amassed pretty good starting rotation depth this winter, all things considered. They entered the season with a fully healthy group of five: Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabreras and Jameson Taillon. Behind them, as depth, the team has Colin Rea and Ben Brown in the big-league bullpen and Javier Assad waiting in the Triple-A Iowa rotation. You can't be much better-positioned to withstand an injury than that, in the modern game, especially given that the team will get Justin Steele back after his 2025 Tommy John surgery, sometime this summer.

    Take the best arm out of any pitching staff, though, and it looks a lot weaker, immediately. That might be what the Cubs are facing now. On Friday, Cade Horton departed in the middle of an at-bat in the bottom of the second inning, feeling obvious discomfort and calling the trainer to the mound before leaving. His fastball velocity nosed down sharply immediately before he left, too.

    We'll update when we know more about what's happening, but it's not too early to harbor deep concerns here. Should Horton miss significant time, the Cubs would be without their ace and the rest of the rotation would immediately seem stretched and strained—just as they were around this time last year, when they lost Steele.

    UPDATE: If you were hoping the issue was a simple blister or that Horton was dealing with a lingering cold or flu, you'll have to let that hope go. The issue is in his forearm, the team announced.

     

    Now, the question is of severity. A trip to the injured list is virtually guaranteed, any time a pitcher leaves a game with a forearm problem. Presumably, Horton will be sent for imaging, and much of the Cubs' upside for this season will hinge on the outcome thereof.

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    Featured Comments

    chibears55

    Posted

    So with forearm discomfort im reading 

    1-2 weeks if it minor soreness 

    4-6 weeks if it a strain

    Up to 9 weeks or longer if it an underlying  ucl injury is present 

    Ugggh

     

    Bull

    Posted

    6 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

    Im guessing Assad or Rea will get the next couple of starts, but beyond that is it too soon for Wiggins. 

    It's never good when your best pitcher leaves a game with throwing forearm discomfort.  But they are much better prepared to deal with it than last year if he's out for any period of time. Steele coming back soon. Brown looking better than last year, Assad healthy. Crazy depth.

    And last year they won 92. This is bad; this does not end the season.

    Stratos

    Posted

    Ah the old "right forearm discomfort", usually code for "his elbow hurts". 

    I called it on PSD forum the day we drafted him: this guy is probably never going to be healthy. His motion is terrible, he short-arms it.

    • Disagree 1
    squally1313

    Posted

    4 minutes ago, Stratos said:

    I called it on PSD forum the day we drafted him:

    Wow, congrats man

    • Haha 2
    • Love 1
    Jason Ross

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, Bertz said:

    If you want some copium, Wicks has had at least three IL stints for his forearm since he entered the org but his elbow hasn't popped yet.

    There is significant correlation on these things, but it's not 1:1.

    My memory is fuzzy but there was a pitcher in the last year or two who got taken off the field at one point and everyone here decided it was definitely TJS only for them to make his next start. 

    squally1313

    Posted

    The other way to cope with this is to just lean into his pretty pedestrian projections and decide the drop off isn’t all that steep. 

    • Like 1
    Neuby

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

    My memory is fuzzy but there was a pitcher in the last year or two who got taken off the field at one point and everyone here decided it was definitely TJS only for them to make his next start. 

    I'll admit thinking Palencia was headed for the operating table last year with his discomfort walking off the mound.

    Stratos

    Posted

    23 minutes ago, Cubs420psd said:

    Tears in his eyes, its his arm.

     

    Screenshot_20260403_160450_Chrome.jpg

    He's effed.

    Rcal10

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

    The other way to cope with this is to just lean into his pretty pedestrian projections and decide the drop off isn’t all that steep. 

    Actually this is a good point. Cubs were projected by most to win the division. And most did not have Horton having that great a year. So maybe Rea fills in to the level many had Horton at anyway. 

    cl smooth

    Posted

    1 minute ago, Stratos said:

    He's effed.

    having an erection for more than 4 hours would make anyone have tears in their eyes. 

    Wilson A2000

    Posted (edited)

    12 minutes ago, Neuby said:

    I'll admit thinking Palencia was headed for the operating table last year with his discomfort walking off the mound.

    Horton has had Tommy John once already. He knows the feeling.

    Edited by Wilson A2000
    JHBulls

    Posted

    Death, taxes and MLB stadium organisers not muting stadium microphones that are next to screaming lunatics. 

    chibears55

    Posted (edited)

    Happ and Kelly... terrible AB

    Busch too

     

    First and third ni outs , 3 pop ups

    Edited by chibears55
    JHBulls

    Posted

    So horsefeathers dumb, 

     

    PeanutPunch33

    Posted

    15 minutes ago, Stratos said:

    He's effed.

    Yup it's over.  Although I thought that Amaya was finished after his injury last year and he nearly came back in time for the playoffs lol 

    soccer10k

    Posted

    23 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

    Wow, congrats man

    What you’re not impressed by someone predicting a pitcher will have elbow issues? What are you gong to tell me next, that you’re not impressed with a prediction that an NFL player will get a concussion?

    • Love 2
    chibears55

    Posted (edited)

    Mentioned this the other day, just got reminded after 4 in a row, Cubs seem to be hitting a ton of pop ups in these early games. A few have fallen but damn are they all just really late on the ball and getting under it too much this early in season 

    Edited by chibears55
    CUBDOM4life

    Posted

    20 minutes ago, PeanutPunch33 said:

    Yup it's over.  Although I thought that Amaya was finished after his injury last year and he nearly came back in time for the playoffs lol 

    That’s what I thought too. I thought Amaya literally died last year after that base running injury he had in his first game back

    • Love 1
    JHBulls

    Posted

    Well done Harvey, you tried! 
    I am looking forward to your next 80+ outings. 

    • Like 1
    Papa Cub

    Posted

    Simply put - they’re not a good baseball team. 
    Not an overreaction- just facts. 80-82 wins miss playoffs. 

    cl smooth

    Posted

    Just now, Papa Cub said:

    Simply put - they’re not a good baseball team. 
    Not an overreaction- just facts. 80-82 wins miss playoffs. 

    cool, see you in next year's game threads! 

    • Like 2
    • Haha 2
    • Love 4



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