Cubs' Cade Horton: Slated for another bullpen session
Rotowire
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Horton's (rib) light bullpen session Monday went well and the hurler is scheduled for another bullpen session Friday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The Cubs are in a 0-2 NLDS hole against the Brewers, but if they're able to come back and advance to the NLCS, Horton has a shot to rejoin the active roster as part of their rotation. Horton has been sidelined since late September after being diagnosed with a right rib fracture.
Horton (rib) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Horton is slated to throw 30 pitches at mid-level intensity. The rookie right-hander could still get added to the Cubs' NLCS roster, should they rally to advance past the Brewers. Horton hasn't pitched since Sept. 23 due to a right rib fracture.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Throwing off mound this week
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Horton (rib) is scheduled to throw off a mound this week, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
How Horton fares during the mound session will give the Cubs a better idea as to whether the rookie right-hander has a chance to be on the NLCS roster, should his team advance past the Brewers in the NLDS. Horton suffered a right rib fracture during his final start of the regular season Sept. 23 and hasn't pitched since.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Placed on IL
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The Cubs placed Horton on the 15-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to Sept. 25, due to a right rib fracture, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.
Horton underwent an MRI earlier this week, which revealed "areas of concern" in his rib area. The Cubs initially planned on having Horton pitch through the issue and make a start during the NL Wild Card Series. However, Horton will require a stint on the injured list due to what's now known to be a fractured rib. The 24-year-old rookie will be eligible for reinstatement Oct. 10, one day before Game 5 of the NLDS. With Horton unavailable, Chicago will have to lean on Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Throwing bullpen Sunday
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Horton (ribs) will throw a bullpen session Sunday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Horton left his last appearance with back tightness, and an MRI revealed areas of concern in his rib area. Still, the Cubs plan on starting Horton in the NL Wild Card series against San Diego next week, likely in Game 1. Horton's scheduled bullpen session indicates the 24-year-old remains on schedule.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Good to go, but with some concern
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Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Horton (back) is a go and on track, but there are "areas of concern" in Horton's rib area from the MRI he had Wednesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
The Cubs and Horton will continue to get information and have more doctors look at the MRI, but no more tests will be run. The right-hander was pulled from Tuesday's start versus the Mets due to back tightness, but now it appears that the main concern is with his ribs. It is expected that he will throw Friday after taking the prior two days off. If the rookie remains on track, he should be able to start in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series on Sept. 30.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Pulled with back tightness
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Horton was removed from his start Tuesday against the Mets due to back tightness, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Horton made it through three innings of one-run ball Tuesday before his back forced him to make an early exit. His abbreviated outing will likely be his final appearance in the regular season, giving the rookie right-hander a 2.67 ERA and 1.08 WHIP through 118 innings across 23 appearances. As long as his back injury proves to be minor, Horton will certainly be in the running to start Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series next week.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Looks sharp in 11th win
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Horton (11-4) allowed just one run on three hits across five innings to earn the win in Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Pirates. He walked one and struck out six.
Horton outdueled Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes, who allowed three runs in just 3.2 innings of work. The Chicago rookie hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last 11 starts, and he has a dazzling 0.93 ERA during that stretch. Overall, Horton has a 2.66 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 115 innings this season, which makes him a strong contender for the National League Rookie of the Year award at the end of the year. The 24-year-old lines up to take the hill again Sunday against the Reds.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Stellar second half continues
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Horton (9-4) picked up the win Friday against the Rockies, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out four.
Horton pitched at least five innings for the seventh time in his last eight starts, though the six hits allowed were his most since July 9 in Minnesota. The rookie right-hander has been dealing since the All-Star break, producing a shiny 0.86 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 38:13 K:BB across his last 50 frames. Horton will be trying to keep the good times rolling at home against Atlanta in his next scheduled appearance.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Steady in eighth win
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Horton (8-4) allowed three hits and a walk while striking out seven over six scoreless innings to earn the win over the Angels on Saturday.
Horton was sharp, throwing 55 of 74 pitches for strikes in this 12-1 win. He looked no worse for wear after exiting his last start early due a blister on his right middle finger. This was Horton's fifth scoreless outing in seven starts since the All-Star break -- he's allowed just two runs on 18 hits and 11 walks while racking up 34 strikeouts over 37 innings in that span. For the season, he's at a 2.88 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 77:29 K:BB through 93.2 innings over 18 appearances (17 starts). The 24-year-old's next start is projected to be on the road in Colorado.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Tending to blister on middle finger
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The Cubs announced that Horton was removed in the third inning of his start in the first game of Monday's doubleheader with the Brewers due to a blister on his right middle finger, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Horton was visited on the mound on three occasions during the afternoon before he was lifted from the contest after recording three strikeouts and allowing one earned run on four hits and one walk across 2.2 innings. Though the blister isn't a major health concern for the young hurler, it could jeopardize his availability for his next turn through the rotation, which is expected to come this weekend versus the Angels. If Horton ends up requiring a stint on the injured list, the Cubs could recall Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa to replace the rookie in the rotation.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Came up in trade discussions
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Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Horton's name came up in discussions before last week's trade deadline, but the team was unwilling to move the young pitcher, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Chicago was reportedly interested in All-Stars MacKenzie Gore and Joe Ryan, but it appears acquiring either pitcher would have required moving Horton, and the team was unwilling to do so. Horton has rewarded the club's faith recently, as the rookie has rattled off four consecutive scoreless starts totaling 22.2 innings. On the season, the 23-year-old righty has an impressive 3.18 ERA across 79.1 innings. While Gore or Ryan would have provided the Cubs' rotation with a bigger name for the stretch run, the team clearly sees long-term ace potential in Horton.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Another sharp outing
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Horton (4-3) earned the win against the White Sox on Saturday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out three across 6.1 scoreless innings.
It was another strong start for Horton, who limited the White Sox to just five baserunners while tossing 84 pitches (56 strikes). The 2022 first-round pick has yielded zero runs in three of his last four starts, which now has him at a 3.67 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across 68.2 innings this season. It was Horton's first win since June 3 against the Nationals, and he'll look to make it two in a row in his next start, which is slated for next weekend at home against the Orioles.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Stumbles in third loss
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Horton (3-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Twins, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out five.
After firing seven shutout innings his last time out, Horton stumbled in Minnesota on Wednesday despite registering an impressive 19 whiffs. The rookie right-hander has now failed to make it through five frames in three of his last four starts, and he's walked multiple batters and been unable to fan greater than five in each of these outings. Horton will take a shaky 4.45 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 43:18 K:BB through his first 56.2 innings into the All-Star break, but he has a clear pathway to a rotation spot with the Cubs for now due to the absence of Justin Steele (elbow).
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Hit hard by Astros
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Horton (3-2) allowed seven runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out two over four innings to take the loss Friday versus the Astros.
Horton stayed in the rotation over Ben Brown following Shota Imanaga's return from a hamstring injury. However, it looks like Horton is on shaky ground, as he's allowed 13 runs (10 earned) over his last 8.2 innings. He also gave up a pair of three-run home runs Friday, the first long balls he's allowed over five starts in June. The rookie right-hander is at a 4.80 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 33:14 K:BB through 45 innings across nine appearances (eight starts). It's not a great sign that his two worst outings have been his two most recent, though the Mariners and Astros are tough opponents, and he was also poor versus the Tigers earlier in the month. Horton is tentatively scheduled for a home start versus the Guardians his next time out.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Should stick in rotation
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With Ben Brown getting optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Horton figures to stick in the Cubs' rotation when Shota Imanaga (hamstring) returns later this week.
With Imanaga's return imminent, Chicago has to make room in the rotation, and for now it seems like Horton will keep his spot. The Cubs could have gone with a six-man rotation or moved Colin Rea into a long-relief role. However, with Brown getting tagged for eight runs in his start Monday, the team decided he's the one to go for now, with Horton and Rea sticking as starters along with Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon. Horton has pitched well during his rookie campaign, compiling a 3.73 ERA across his first eight MLB appearances. He's penciled in to start Friday against the Astros on the road.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Settles for no-decision Saturday
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Horton did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks over 4.2 innings against Seattle. He struck out two.
The right-hander wasn't at his sharpest, and a Vidal Brujan error in the fifth inning contributed to his exit. Despite the shortened outing, Horton has put together a solid rookie campaign, posting a 3.73 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 41 innings across eight appearances, including seven starts.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Takes first loss of 2025
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Horton (3-1) took the loss against the Tigers on Sunday, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six across five innings.
The Cubs fell behind in the first inning after Horton yielded a two-run double to Spencer Torkelson. Horton settled in to keep the Tigers off the board over the next three frames, but he ran into trouble again in the fifth and gave up two more runs on a Riley Greene single to left field. It was the most runs Horton has given up across six starts this season, and Sunday's start inflated his ERA and WHIP to 4.11 and 1.30, respectively, across 30.2 innings. He'll look to get back into the win column in his next start, tentatively slated for next weekend against the Pirates at Wrigley Field.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Falls short of quality start
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Horton (3-0) yielded three runs on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings Tuesday, striking out three and earning a win over the Nationals.
Horton coughed up a run in the first inning and two more in the third, but the Cubs' offense picked him up in the 8-3 victory. It was his fourth straight outing of at least five innings, but he's produced only one quality start at the MLB level so far. He threw 52 of 77 pitches for strikes and generated only seven whiffs. Horton now owns a 4.21 ERA alongside a 19:5 K:BB through 25.2 big-league frames. His next matchup is expected to be this weekend in Detroit.
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Cubs' Cade Horton: Stingy in no-decision
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Horton came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Marlins, allowing one run on six hits and three walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out three.
The rookie right-hander tossed just 54 of 92 pitches for strikes in his third big-league appearance and second start, but Horton generated 16 swinging strikes to help limit the damage from the traffic he put on the basepaths. Neither Shota Imanaga (hamstring) nor Javier Assad (oblique) are expected back until at least mid-June, so Horton should get a long runway to prove he belongs in the majors. He'll take a 4.40 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB through 14.1 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come at home early next week against the Rockies.
