Cade Horton Injury Update
Cade Horton’s rookie dream season with the Cubs hit a nasty speed bump just before the NLDS, and right now, he’s officially ruled out of the entire series with a stubborn rib fracture. I mean, the kid couldn’t have picked a worse moment to get hurt, right on the edge of playoff time. Manager Craig Counsell was upfront during Friday’s workout at American Family Field, all but saying there’s no way Horton pitches against the Brewers this round, no matter how many “maybe, if…” scenarios fans try to cook up.
CHGO Cubs broke the news on Twitter that Cade Horton will miss the NL Wild Card due to a right rib fracture.
He’s eligible for reactivation as early as a potential Game 5, but doesn’t look likely; rosters are set for the whole round, and nothing short of an injury replacement would change that. Horton’s been playing catch, and the staff says he “feels good” (which is at least something), but they’re not letting him push through pain or ramp up yet. The manager sounded cautious, and honestly, you wouldn’t blame them for that, given what could hang in the balance.
The Cubs will run out veteran Matthew Boyd for Game 1, with Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon probably following up. At the same time, the hope hangs in the air that if the North Siders claw into the NLCS, maybe, just maybe, Horton could play some part, but even then, Counsell admits it’d be in a limited, short-stint scenario, not the sort of bulk innings Horton’s thrown all year.
The real heartbreaker here is how electric Horton was in his debut campaign: 11-4, 2.67 ERA, and a 1.03 second-half ERA that had people whispering about Rookie of the Year votes. He led MLB pitchers (minimum 50 innings) during that second-half stretch, which is wild, and you want the postseason to give him a stage to finish the breakout. Instead, he’s rooting with the rest of us and healing, slowly, while Cubs fans cross their fingers and try not to get too superstitious about October rib injuries.
