Hoerner (neck) will start at second base and bat leadoff in Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Hoerner was removed from Friday's game after experiencing tightness on the left side of his neck and then remained on the bench Saturday as well, but he feels well enough to give it a go in the series finale. The 28-year-old opened the season as the Cubs' No. 5 hitter but has climbed into the leadoff spot after producing a .374 OBP through his first 32 games.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Absent from Saturday's lineup
Rotowire
Hoerner (neck) is not in the Cubs' starting lineup against the Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Hoerner left Friday's game against Arizona due to neck tightness, and the injury will keep the veteran second baseman on the bench for Saturday's matinee. Matt Shaw will start at the keystone and bat eighth against right-hander Ryne Nelson.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Dealing with neck issue
Rotowire
Hoerner was removed from Friday's game against the Diamondbacks due to left-sided neck tightness, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
The 28-year-old doubled and scored during the opening frame but was replaced by a pinch hitter during the second inning. The severity of the injury isn't clear, but the Cubs could offer some more information after Friday's contest. Hoerner should be considered day-to-day for now.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Goes deep again Friday
Rotowire
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run in Friday's 12-4 win over the Mets.
Not known as a power hitter, Hoerner has now gone deep in consecutive games, and he has three home runs this season already. The speedy infielder's career high in long balls is 10, and he only had seven of them last year, so the power surge is a bit unexpected. Hoerner is also currently third in the National League with a .342 batting average, making it an outstanding start overall for the 28-year-old.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Keeps rolling Wednesday
Rotowire
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a home run, an additional run scored, a stolen base and five RBI in Wednesday's 11-2 win over the Phillies.
Hoerner's scorching-hot start to the season continued, as he delivered his third three-hit effort through 18 games and launched his second home run. The infielder is also a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases, and he's batting a robust .324 with a .917 OPS. At this rate, Hoerner appears primed to make his first All-Star Game appearance this summer, and he seems locked in as Chicago's preferred leadoff hitter against both righties and lefties.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Powers offense Tuesday
Rotowire
Hoerner went 2-for-6 with a run scored and three RBI in Tuesday's 10-4 win over the Phillies.
Hoerner has been off to a hot start with a .303/.397/.455 slash line through 17 games. The Cubs have responded by moving the speedy infielder up to the leadoff spot, and it looks like a move that could stick for a while based on his sustained good play. Hoerner has also contributed five steals in five attempts, and his ability on the bases is what largely drives his fantasy value.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Two more hits in win Sunday
Rotowire
Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Pirates.
The Cubs' leadoff man, Hoerner singled and scored in the fifth inning before hitting his seventh double of the season in the seventh. It was Hoerner's fourth multi-hit game of April, and he's now slashing .316/.420/.491 with one home run, 10 RBI, nine runs scored, five stolen bases and a 9:6 BB:K across 69 plate appearances.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Hits leadoff home run Wednesday
Rotowire
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a double, a solo home run, an additional run scored and two total RBI in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Rays.
Hoerner has been hot to start the season, and for the second straight day, the Cubs rewarded the speedy infielder by batting him leadoff. It was also the second straight game that he batted first despite facing a righty starter, bumping Michael Busch down in the order. Hoerner responded Wednesday with a leadoff home run, which was his first long ball of the year. As long as Hoerner stays locked in at the plate, he figures to stick as Chicago's leadoff hitter against both righties and lefties for the foreseeable future.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Steals another base Tuesday
Rotowire
Hoerner went 2-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and two RBI in Tuesday's 9-2 win over the Rays.
Hoerner has gotten off to a nice start with a .297/.438/.432 slash line through 11 games. The infielder also has already swiped five bases without getting caught. Despite facing a righty starter in Mason Englert on Tuesday, Hoerner batted leadoff, with Michael Busch slotting in second. Busch has gotten off to a slow start, so the Cubs may elect to keep Hoerner atop the order against both righties and lefties while he's performing so well.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Paces offense from leadoff spot
Rotowire
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Angels.
With Chicago facing lefty starter Yusei Kikuchi, Michael Busch slid down to fifth in the order, with Hoerner grabbing the leadoff spot. He responded with his first three-hit effort of the season and also added his fourth stolen base of the year. Hoerner is now riding a five-game hitting streak, and his ability to consistently get on base and run frequently when he does makes him a solid fantasy contributor.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Keeps running wild Monday
Rotowire
Hoerner went 1-for-2 with a walk, a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Monday's 7-2 win over the Angels. He also stole a base.
The runs and RBI are certainly icing on the cake, but Hoerner is once again making his biggest impact from a fantasy perspective on the bases. The speedy infielder has stolen a base in three straight games and has yet to get caught this season. Hoerner had 103 steals over the last three years, reaching the 30-steal plateau twice in that span and falling just short with 29 in 2025. It looks like he'll once again push toward that mark in 2026 if he stays healthy.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Inks six-year extension
Rotowire
Hoerner and the Cubs agreed to terms on a six-year, $141 million contract extension Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Hoerner's extension further solidifies the Cubs' commitment to their current core after the club signed Pete Crow-Armstrong to a six-year deal Monday. Since becoming a regular starter for the Cubs in 2022, Hoerner has established himself as one of the premier second basemen in baseball while slashing .284/.339/.389 and averaging roughly 58 RBI, 83 runs scored and 31 stolen bases per season.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Big game in loss
Rotowire
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with an RBI and four runs scored in Tuesday's 9-7 loss to the Mets. He also stole a base.
With New York starting lefty David Peterson, Hoerner batted leadoff instead of Michael Busch, and the former responded with a standout performance. The speedy infielder set a new season high in runs scored, and he's been red hot lately with a .412 batting average over his last 12 games. Hoerner also has 29 stolen bases this season, putting him within striking distance of his third straight 30-steal campaign.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Sparks Cubs with three RBI
Rotowire
Hoerner went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Rays.
The infielder came up clutch for Chicago, driving in three of the team's four runs, beginning with an RBI single in the first inning to score leadoff-man Michael Busch. Hoerner later delivered the decisive blow in the seventh, lacing a two-run double that gave the Cubs a lead they wouldn't surrender. The 28-year-old has been a steady force at the plate of late, recording hits in 18 of his last 21 games, including 10 multi-hit efforts. Over that span, Hoerner is batting .354 with 10 RBI, 16 runs scored, nine doubles and four stolen bases across 91 plate appearances.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Reaches three times in win
Rotowire
Hoerner went 2-for-3 with a walk, a triple and two runs scored in Friday's 6-4 victory over Tampa Bay.
Hoerner extended his hitting streak to seven games, and during that time, he's tallied four multi-hit performances. Over his last 15 games, the speedy infielder is batting .339 with two home runs, three stolen bases, six RBI and 13 runs scored. Hoerner remains a useful fantasy asset due to his contact skills and ability to swipe bags.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Pilfers two bags in win
Rotowire
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 3-2 win over Atlanta.
Hoerner collected multiple steals for the fifth time this season in his 10th three-hit attack of the campaign. The speedy middle infielder is up to 26 stolen bases on the year as he aims for his third consecutive 30-steal season. Over his last 15 outings, Hoerner is batting .333 with two home runs, seven doubles, seven RBI and three thefts to boost his OPS to .733 in 2025.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Goes deep in win
Rotowire
Hoerner went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a home run, two RBI and two total runs scored in Friday's 11-5 win over the Nationals.
Hoerner tallied his fifth multi-hit performance in his last 10 games as the Chicago infielder stayed hot at the plate. While not known for his power, the 28-year-old has also gone deep twice during this 10-game stretch after hitting only four home runs in his previous 125 games. Hoerner will continue to derive most of his fantasy value moving forward from his strong contact skills and his speed, as he has 23 stolen bases this year in 27 attempts.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Hitting bench Sunday
Rotowire
Hoerner is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.
Hoerner will receive a breather after starting 11 straight games while slashing .275/.333/.425 with a home run, a stolen base, six RBI and six runs. Willi Castro will step in for Hoerner at the keystone.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Doubles, scores twice in win
Rotowire
Hoerner went 2-for-4 with a walk, two doubles and two runs scored in Friday's 11-7 win over the Rockies.
Hoerner benefitted from the friendly confines of Coors Field and continued his strong recent play. Over his last 15 games, the infielder is batting .302 with a home run, two stolen bases, six RBI and six runs scored. Hoerner remains a strong contact hitter with a .292 batting average overall, and his greatest fantasy asset is his speed, as he has 23 stolen bases in 27 attempts.
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Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Not starting in early game
Rotowire
Hoerner is out of the lineup for the opening game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Brewers.
After double-play partner Dansby Swanson received a rare rest day in Monday's 7-0 loss to Milwaukee, Hoerner will take a seat for the first game of the day and the second contest of a five-game set with the NL Central leaders. Willi Castro will step in at second base in place of Hoerner, who had started in every game dating back to April 8.
