With Imanaga on IL, will Horton make debut? Cubs aren’t saying
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he knew Shota Imanaga was headed to the injured list when the pitcher left Sunday's game at Milwaukee with a left hamstring strain.
As that move became official Monday, Counsell said he wasn't sure how the Cubs will replace Imanaga in the rotation.
If put to a fan vote, the answer seems obvious: Right-hander Cade Horton has been rolling in Triple-A all season. Saturday against the Mets at Citi Field would be a perfect time for his major-league debut.
“He (Horton) is an option,” Counsell said before Monday's game against San Francisco at Wrigley Field. “We haven't made any decisions about that at this point. I really don't think we have to make a decision until (Thursday's) off day.”
Horton, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, has made six starts for Iowa, throwing a total of 29 innings. He's allowed just 12 hits and 4 earned runs for a 1.24 ERA, to go with 33 strikeouts.
According to Statcast, his average fastball velocity on Sunday was 95.1 mph. Horton sure seems ready.
When asked why the Cubs might be hesitant to call up their top pitching prospect, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer pointed to a lat injury that forced Horton to miss nearly all of last season.
“I think had he pitched all of last season, he may well have debuted by now,” Hoyer said Monday. “If he had debuted, I think you'd have a better sense of where he is. Because of his lost time last year, it's been good to give him some foundation in Iowa.”
Hoyer talked about how the Cubs hadn't gotten a full diagnosis yet for Imanaga, but he's on the 15-day injured list now. The left-hander is going to miss two starts for sure and probably more.
Of course, it's possible the pitching department sees some corrections for Horton that don't show up in the Triple-A stat line.
“I think the biggest thing is always competitive pitches,” Hoyer said. “Throwing noncompetitive pitches in the big leagues puts you in bad counts pretty quickly; counts that you can probably pitch out of in Triple-A easier than you can the big leagues.”
By noncompetitive pitch, Hoyer means something well out of the strike zone that a major-league hitter won't even think of swinging at.
“The difference between a 1-2 count and a 2-2 count's a pretty big difference,” Hoyer said. “So that's probably the biggest thing he's been working on, and he's gaining consistency with the off-speed.”
Horton started working on a sinker just before the season began, according to the Des Moines Register. On Sunday, he threw 3 sinkers, used the curve and changeup sparingly, while going 91% fastball or slider.
The Cubs called up right-hander Gavin Hollowell to replace Imanaga on the active roster. He's expected to work out of the bullpen, since the Cubs won't need a replacement starter until Saturday in New York.
If not Horton, the most obvious option is to use newcomer Chris Flexen in the role. He's started 110 MLB games, 30 for the White Sox last season. Lefty Jordan Wicks is on the 40-man roster and wouldn't require an additional move if he were called up.
Horton is not currently on the 40-man, which means someone would likely be designated for assignment to make room. Keegan Thompson (2.41 ERA) has pitched well at Iowa, while Wicks (6.38 ERA) hasn't been sharp.