Cubs pitcher Cade Horton to undergo season-ending elbow surgery
Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton will undergo elbow surgery and miss the rest of the season, manager Craig Counsell announced on Tuesday before their game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Horton, who was the runner-up for last year's NL Rookie of the Year award, was placed on the injured list on Sunday, after leaving Friday's start against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning.
Horton's velocity was consistently in the 95-96 mph range in the first inning, which is right where he usually sits. His velocity then dropped suddenly in the second inning, and he pulled himself from the game. The Marquee Sports broadcast said Horton had tears in his eyes as he headed to the clubhouse.
Horton, 24, was the No. 7 pick in the 2022 Draft. He had Tommy John surgery as a freshman at Oklahoma in February 2021. He also missed the playoffs with the Cubs last season with a fractured rib.
Pitcher Riley Martin, a 28-year-old lefty taken in the sixth round of the 2021 Draft, was called up Sunday to take Horton's roster spot.
Horton is one of Chicago's most important players as a starter with frontline potential. He threw 118 innings with a 2.84 ERA last season and was very good in his 2026 debut last week, holding the Washington Nationals to two runs in 6 ⅓ innings. The Cubs have good rotation depth, though few starters that have a chance to dominate like Horton.
Fellow starting pitcher Matthew Boyd was placed on the injured list on Monday with a biceps strain, but Counsell expects his stint on the IL to be minimal.
Justin Steele, who missed most of last season after undergoing surgery to repair the flexor tendon and UCL in his left elbow, is expected back in the coming weeks.