The Chicago Cubs are heading into October with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over their rotation. Their rookie pitcher, Cade Horton, who had been a no-brainer for them, revealed that he would miss time with a fractured rib. It’s an injury that will most certainly keep him out of the upcoming National League Division Series.
The Cubs placed the 24-year-old right-hander on the 15-day injured list. His earliest possible return seems to be October 20, which happens to be right in the middle of the NLDS schedule. That means the only way he could suit up for Game 5 on October 11 is if another player goes down. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Chicago, which was counting on his arm for the postseason push.
Horton spoke to the media recently about what happened, and disappointment was actually written all over his words. Horton explained to Marquee Sports Network that the injury came from what he called a perfect storm. The fatigue, the cough from being sick, and the strain of trying to throw 98 mph all at once. About him being on the outs, he said, “Um, you know, it’s just really unfortunate, just the timing of everything.”
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The fracture, he mentioned, might not worsen, but Horton admitted the “bitter risk” is in what compensation could do for the rest of his body. Cade Horton said, “Yeah, I mean, it’s just a broken bone. Um, and so, you know, it’s when you have that, like it’s not going to break anymore, but also you compensate, and, you know, that could be my elbow. Um, it could be, you know, somewhere else. So, there’s just a lot of risk involved. Um, the bone itself is not going to get any worse, but it just puts, you know, everything else at risk.” For a young pitcher who is at the start of his career, it is understandable that this is a risk that he can’t really afford to take.
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Still, the competitor in him doesn’t want to shut it down, at least not so quickly. He is ready to risk it all for the Cubs, saying, “All I can do is be a really good teammate and try to get healthy, um, you know, through the next week. Um, and just keep taking it day by day. Um, you know, I got a lot of belief in these guys and and I think we’ll be in a good spot.”
Horton revealed that he tried to pitch through it and even threw in catch sessions to test himself. However, the discomfort really never went away, and breathing became difficult for him, and he finally knew that he wasn’t going to be putting in his best performance. Cade Horton said, although he mentioned that he badly wanted to be there for his team. For now, he is taking things as they go, staying in shape so that nothing aggravates that fracture. Whether that’s enough for a late October return remains to be seen. But for sure, the fans are not happy with this news.
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Who will the Cubs turn to after Cade Horton’s untimely injury?
If the Chicago Cubs need to push deep into October, they need to do it without Cade Horton. That’s for sure a big blow to Craig Counsell’s postseason rotation plans. The Cubs’ journey starts on Tuesday in the best-of-three wild-card series against the San Diego Padres. So the big question now is—who fills the final rotation spot with Horton out? The answer seems to be Jameson Taillon.
The righty has been quietly surging ever since his return from the multiple IL outings this summer. The Chicago Cubs even bumped his final regular-season start to line him up for San Diego. Honestly, he didn’t disappoint and tossed six innings of one-run ball in a 7-3 win over St. Louis on Saturday. And through his last seven outings, he’s pitched to a 1.85 ERA across 39 innings. So the veteran can carry the load of the postseason very well.
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Taillon himself was very quick to point out how much Horton meant to the team this season. He said, “Cade’s been incredible. He’s fit right into our team. I know it hurt him a lot to have to go on the IL and not be a part of the first round. That says a lot about him. He just wants to be a part of the team and wants to help … He picked us up a lot this year when I was down for a while, and Shota was down for a while. So now it’s our turn to try to pick him up and make sure he can hopefully play a part as we get going into the playoffs.”
So sure, Horton being sidelined is a major blow, but Taillon can take it on to give the Chicago Cubs a fighting chance.