The Cubs’ loss to the Guardians on Friday was overshadowed by Cade Horton’s injury, as the right-hander left the game in the second inning due to right forearm discomfort. Based on Horton’s reaction and his injury history, fans have reason to worry about possible surgery, which would significantly alter the trajectory of the team’s season.
However, both Horton and Craig Counsell seemed cautiously optimistic when discussing Horton’s injury and early departure after the game.
Cade Horton said he felt tightness in his wrist and then it moved to the forearm. Hopeful that he caught the issue early and avoided something serious. Craig Counsell said Horton will get imaging done by Monday. Roster move pending as Horton will be placed on the 15-day IL. pic.twitter.com/O81oh5TICX
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) April 3, 2026The last thing I expected to be doing was looking at the Cubs’ pitching depth the first weekend of April, but here we are. In all fairness, they dealt with injuries at the top of their rotation last season, when Justin Steele went down on April 7, so this is not a totally new situation. However, having something like this happen in back-to-back years would be brutal luck for a team whose rotation was already somewhat of a question mark entering the year.
Steele’s health does factor into this specific equation, because he’s slated to return in late May or early June. A common discussion throughout the offseason was whether the Cubs might possibly have too many starting pitchers, but that’s lost whatever validity it had just seven games into the season.
If Cade Horton’s wrist/forearm injury is indeed not serious, and he only misses minimal time, that’s the best-case scenario for the Cubs. They’ll still need someone to take his place in the rotation, but it would prevent the need to search for a replacement outside the organization. He could end up returning before Steele, but that still feels like wishful thinking.
Cade Horton Replacement Options
Colin Rea
With that in mind, the most obvious internal replacement option is Colin Rea, who relieved Horton on Friday in Cleveland. Rea allowed just one run in 3.1 innings, striking out four. Last season, Rea found himself in a similar situation, being thrust into the rotation after Steele’s injury. Rea went on to log 159.1 innings across 32 games, with 27 starts.
He was extremely effective, especially considering his salary of just $5 million, posting a 1.25 WHIP and 3.95 ERA. Rea has become one of the most underrated pitchers on the Cubs, and an argument can be made that he isn’t recognized enough across the sport. His stuff won’t blow you away, but he gets the job done and keeps the Cubs in the game more often than not.
Ben Brown
The second option that’s currently on the major league roster is Ben Brown, who recently debuted a new sinker in Spring Training. And I mention that because, for a two-pitch pitcher like Brown, any serviceable third offering can change your fortunes dramatically. It’s simply very difficult to succeed with only two pitches otherwise, even if they’re really good.
To that end, Brown is off to a strong start this season, having allowed two runs across 6.2 innings of work. There’s always been the potential of stretching him back out into a starting role, as that was his role when the Cubs traded for him in 2022. Keeping him in the bullpen is probably the wise move, but I’d be remiss not to mention him as an option. If something has truly clicked for Brown this spring, removing him from his current situation feels like an unnecessary risk.
I should note, however, that Brown was stretched out this spring and split those 6.2 innings into just two appearances. So he’s definitely more stretched out than a typical reliever already. I suspect the Cubs kept him that way for exactly this sort of emergency situation.
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesJavier Assad
Looking toward Triple-A, Javier Assad may have a chance to once again join the rotation.
Assad has proven to be a valuable depth piece for the Cubs over the last few years, making 54 starts in 78 games with the major league team across four seasons. It has been a rough start to the year for Assad in Iowa, with the righty allowing seven runs in seven innings so far. He has been a very consistent arm each time the Cubs call his name, but there usually is not a spot in the normal five-man rotation for him. They sent him to Triple-A after Spring Training to get consistent innings and be ready to replace an injured arm, and that time may have come sooner than expected.
Jaxon Wiggins
The Cubs top prospect, Jaxon Wiggins, doesn’t have enough time in Triple-A to be a realistic possibility this early in the year, but if we have a similar conversation in a few months, his name will definitely be in the mix. The top prospect has logged just 13.2 innings with the Iowa Cubs since last September, allowing six runs with 20 strikeouts.
Lucas Giolito
The Cubs could look to someone outside of the organization, and there does happen to be one (relatively) legitimate arm still available: Lucas Giolito.
Giolito, 31, made 25 starts for the Red Sox last season, pitching to a 3.41 ERA over 145.0 IP. But while that seems encouraging, a quick peek under the hood reveals the more troubling peripherals that are probably conspiring to keep him a free agent this long: 5.01 xERA, 4.17 FIP. But in terms of emergency fill-in options, you could do a whole lot worse than Giolito.
Ultimately, I don’t think the Cubs will look outside the organization – at least until they know what sort of absence they’re looking at with Cade Horton. And that might not come until Monday, when the imaging is done. Moreover, even though it hasn’t worked out just yet, Giolito should still have some suitors right now. And an injury like this popping up with the Cubs could force one of them to go over the top and get a deal done. Just felt worth mentioning in case it does go that way.
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Out of all these options, Rea is best equipped to fill this role, especially on short notice, and his consistency is something the Cubs could really use during an uncertain time.
The situation is unfortunate, but the Cubs are lucky to have several suitable options to replace Cade Horton in the starting rotation for the time being. They do not have to make a decision until next Wednesday, when Horton is next scheduled to pitch again. So a corresponding move this weekend will likely be a bullpen arm to help the Cubs finish the series against the Guardians and begin their series in Tampa Bay.
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