The Chicago Cubs entered the 2025 season navigating a risky situation with their pitching staff. Ace Justin Steele‘s season ended before it truly began due to Tommy John surgery. This placed immense pressure on the rest of the arms, particularly newcomer Shota Imanaga. For weeks, they managed admirably, staying atop the NL Central. But now, the injury bug has bitten again. This time, putting down their dependable southpaw and possibly forcing the team toward significant changes.
Disaster struck during Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. In the sixth inning, Brewers hitter Christian Yelich grounded a ball towards first base. Imanaga sprinted off the mound to cover the bag, attempting to complete a potential 1-6-3 double play. As he approached the base, he pulled up, grabbing the back of his left leg in discomfort. Team trainers came running out, and Imanaga eventually limped back to the dugout.
His day abruptly over after a promising scoreless start.
The official diagnosis confirmed fears: A left hamstring strain. Now, the real question: How long will he be out? The outlook isn’t promising. As Brett Taylor at Bleacher Nation observed, “If it’s a true hamstring strain, then a month usually becomes the best case scenario even for a mild strain.” But that potential monthlong absence now immediately puts the focus on his replacements, and that’s where the most exciting name comes up – Cade Horton.
“Cade Horton could help the big league Cubs the most,” pointed out Taylor.
Horton, the Cubs’ top pitching prospect, is dominating Triple-A Iowa. The 23-year-old has a stellar 1.24 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in six starts (34.1 innings). He’s striking out 30.6% of batters faced while holding them to a .129 average. After early walks, he issued just one in each of his last three starts. According to Taylor, Horton features big-league stuff and “has checked all the traditional boxes,” suggesting readiness.
Now, the main hurdle remains managing his workload given past injuries.
In addition to the high-upside Horton, the Cubs have some other proven internal alternatives, too. Veteran Chris Flexen stands out as a practical choice. Taylor describes him as a “perfectly justifiable” option already in the bullpen and mostly stretched out. Flexen pitched extremely well as a starter in Iowa recently (sub-1.20 ERA over five starts) and offers over 110 games of MLB starting experience. His presence on the active roster makes him the easiest immediate plug-and-play solution while the team evaluates Imanaga’s exact timeline.
Lefty Jordan Wicks is another one. He is already on the 40-man roster and has started major league games with the Cubs. This would at least add a little bit of left-handed balance to the rotation. But he has also struggled at Triple-A this year, including a recent poor start in which he allowed seven earned runs.
Then there is Keegan Thompson, too, performing well in Iowa (2.41 ERA, 27 K/3 BB in 18.2 IP). But like Horton, he is not currently on the 40-man roster, adding a procedural hurdle.
Addressing the Cubs’ urgent pitching needs: External solutions?
Trading for an external option feels less likely in early May, though the pressure is mounting. Acquiring quality starting pitching now typically requires paying a premium. Speculative names mentioned in various discussions include Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez and Colorado’s Kyle Freeland. Others like Seattle’s Luis Castillo seem improbable now that the Mariners lead their division. Erick Fedde and Sandy Alcantara were also noted as talented but unlikely to be moved currently.
In the meantime, the Cubs’ rotation has Jameson Taillon, Matt Boyd, Ben Brown, and Collin Rea. This group has done a nice job — Boyd earning praise for his “brilliant work” (2.70 ERA) filling in, and Rea exceeding expectations (1.46 ERA in starts) after moving from the bullpen. They have kept the Cubs competitive, but without a stabilizing presence at the top, that job gets much, much harder.
Well, tbh, it’s nearly impossible to replace Shota Imanaga even temporarily. The southpaw produced a solid 2.82 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 44.2 innings before getting hurt, and he represented a form of stability the Cubs needed following Steele going down. His ability to limit runs, even if underlying metrics hinted at some regression, was valuable.
So, yeah, the front office is facing a massive challenge finding someone internally or externally to replicate Imanaga’s consistent production.
All eyes are now set on how the Cubs handle this latest pitching crisis. Promote the top prospect Cade Horton, rely on veteran Chris Flexen, or look elsewhere?
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