Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton’s season has come to an abrupt end after team manager Craig Counsell announced Tuesday that the right-handed starter will need surgery to repair UCL damage in his throwing elbow.
The surgical recommendation came following Horton’s consultation with renowned orthopedic specialist Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. This meeting occurred just two days after the Cubs placed the 24-year-old on the 15-day injured list with what was initially described as a forearm strain.
Horton’s injury troubles began during Friday’s matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, where he was forced to leave after pitching just over one inning and throwing only 17 pitches. The Cubs backdated his IL placement to Saturday.
During that Cleveland game, Horton successfully retired all three batters in the opening frame before issuing a five-pitch walk to Kyle Manzardo to start the second inning. He then departed with Chicago’s head trainer, and Cleveland ultimately secured a 4-1 victory.
Following Friday’s abbreviated outing, Horton explained his physical concerns: “I had some tightness in my wrist and as the game went on, it went into my forearm. I wanted to err on the cautious side and not hurt anything else. I just wanted to be smart about it and make a smart decision.”
Prior to the injury, Horton had been performing well, bringing his earned run average down to 2.45 after allowing two runs across 6 1/3 innings in Chicago’s dominant 10-2 victory over Washington on March 28.
Selected by Chicago as the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft, Horton compiled an impressive 11-4 record with a 2.67 ERA across 23 appearances (22 as a starter) in 2025, earning him second place in National League Rookie of the Year balloting.
