Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Cade Horton has been sidelined with a right forearm strain, landing him on the 15-day injured list as of Sunday.
The Cubs made the roster move effective Saturday for Horton, who departed Friday’s matchup against Cleveland after pitching just over one inning and throwing 17 pitches.
The young hurler successfully retired three batters in the opening frame before issuing a five-pitch walk to Kyle Manzardo to start the second inning. He then left the field accompanied by Chicago’s head trainer. Cleveland ultimately claimed a 4-1 victory.
“I had some tightness in my wrist and as the game went on, it went into my forearm,” Horton explained following Friday’s contest. “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.”
The setback comes after Horton improved his earned run average to 2.45 on Friday, following a strong performance against Washington on March 28 where he allowed just two runs across 6 1/3 innings in Chicago’s 10-2 victory. The 24-year-old is currently in his second major league campaign.
During his debut season, he compiled an 11-4 record with a 2.67 ERA.
In corresponding roster moves Sunday, Chicago brought up left-handed pitcher Riley Martin from Triple-A Iowa and designated right-hander Ethan Roberts as the 27th player for Sunday’s doubleheader against Cleveland.
Martin, age 28, has not yet appeared in a major league contest. Throughout his minor league career spanning 174 appearances (including three starts), he holds a 24-13 record with a 3.76 ERA.
