Cade Horton Could Take Shota Imanaga’s Spot In Cubs’ Rotation

It may finally be time for Cade Horton to make his highly-anticipated debut.

The Chicago Cubs certainly would’ve preferred to have a fully healthy rotation, with Horton (Just Baseball’s No. 45 prospect) eventually getting the call because he’d pitched so well and forced the issue. But that’s not how things have played out.

First, they lost Justin Steele for the season due to elbow surgery. Then, the Cubs placed Shota Imanaga on the 15-day injured list Monday with a left hamstring strain.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Monday afternoon Imanaga had gotten imaging done, but they hadn’t yet met with the doctor. Postgame, he gave reporters at Wrigley Field an update, calling the strain “very mild.” He did note the team will be cautious, though. In that case, it seems Imanaga will be on the shelf for longer than a minimum stint.

The group will weigh all options for how to fill the spot, Horton included. The Cubs do have another off day coming up Thursday, so they could kick the can down the road a little bit longer, but they’ll still eventually have to figure who will pitch every fifth game.

“No one’s going to be Shota, but we have to have guys step up,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “Our depth is getting challenged a little bit, but I think we still have pretty good depth and options, and we’ll have to have those guys step up. I think Colin [Rea has] done a great job stepping up since Steele went out, and obviously, guys are going to have to step up with Shota out.”

One option to take Imanaga’s next start — slated for Saturday if the rotation schedule holds — is Chris Flexen. He’s stretched out from starting with Triple-A Iowa in April, and he last pitched three innings of relief for the Cubs on Friday. He’s also started 110 big league games in his career.

Another option is Jordan Wicks, who’s already on the 40-man roster, though he’s posted a 6.38 ERA with Iowa this year. He last pitched Thursday, so he’d be well rested if that’s the route the Cubs take. A bullpen game is always a possibility, too.

Or, Horton could get the chance to fill that spot.

How Horton has fared at Triple-A in 2025

He’s the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. A shoulder injury limited him to just 34 1/3 innings last season, and he didn’t pitch after May 29. Even prior to the injury, Horton didn’t look like his best self once he got to Triple-A (7.50 ERA, 13.6 percent walk rate in five starts).

But Horton has had a strong 2025. He owns a 1.24 ERA in six starts. He’s struck out 30.6 percent of the hitters he’s faced. He does still own a 12 percent walk rate, but even that’s bloated from walking 10 batters in his first three outings (he’s only walked three in three starts since).

Horton has nearly eclipsed his innings total from a year ago with 29 already this season. That includes back-to-back six-inning outings his last two times out. The Cubs won’t bring him up with a specific innings limit in mind, as they’ll instead continuously monitor where he’s at physically to help determine the workload he can handle.

As far as his readiness for the big leagues, the Cubs have been looking to see progress in different areas. A big one is Horton consistently throwing competitive pitches.

“Throwing non-competitive pitches in the big leagues puts you in bad counts pretty quickly, counts that you can probably pitch out of in Triple-A easier than you can in the big leagues,” Hoyer said. “It’s just the consistency of your pitches. Not throwing one good, one bad, but making sure that you’re consistent and therefore avoiding free pitches. The difference between a 1-2 count and a 2-2 count is a pretty big difference.”

Is his debut on the horizon?

Horton last pitched Sunday, so he’d be on good rest if he got the start Saturday. Of course, that would mean making his debut on the road against the New York Mets, who finished Monday with the third-best record in the majors.

A softer landing spot would be more ideal. But then again, the jump to the big leagues will be tough regardless of the matchup.

“It’s a big league schedule,” Counsell said. “There’s tough lineups. Every lineup is tough. Whatever job the Triple-A pitcher does in the big leagues, it’s a harder job.”

The Cubs aren’t hesitant to bring up Horton at this point. They just want to make sure they do it at the right time. It’s not guaranteed that time is this weekend, though Hoyer did make it clear the Cubs are happy with Horton’s progress, saying, “He’s done his part in Triple-A.”

The team will likely look to get to the off day before making a decision. Whether it’s Horton or not, they need someone — and probably multiple someones, frankly — to answer the call in Imanaga’s absence.

“It’s the nature of our game,” Hoyer said. “You’re always building depth and you’re always dealing with injuries. You always hope it’s not one of your best players, best pitchers, but that’s what happens, and hopefully, we can figure out when we can get him back and get him back healthy. But we just got to step up. No one’s going to pause for us.”