3 immediate short-term Cade Horton replacement already in the Cubs organization

OK, so we didn't get an immediate postgame death sentence, but forgive me if I'm unlikely to breathe easy until we get an official diagnosis and timeline on Cade Horton. In case you missed it, the young right-hander left Friday's opener in Cleveland in the second inning after throwing just 17 pitches with what's been initially labeled 'right forearm discomfort'.

Given his departure was preceded by a noted velocity drop on his final pitch, and I'm sure I'm not alone basking in a feeling of unease heading into the weekend. After the game, Horton said he was concerned about trying to pitch through the discomfort, which started in his wrist, prompting the decision to call for the trainer.

“I just wanted to be smart about it,” Horton said. “I’ve been in this spot before and I’ve taken the other route where I keep going, and it ends up being worse. So, I just tried to make a mature decision and end it there.”

For now, though, Horton will head to the 15-day IL, meaning it's time for someone to step up. Here are the three leading candidates to take his spot in the rotation next week when the Cubs take on the Rays.

3 logical Cade Horton replacements while the Cubs evaluate his injury9

Colin Rea

Is this the sexy, flashy pick? No. But Colin Rea was low-key a savior for the 2025 Cubs - and could end up in a similar position this year. Last season, when Justin Steele went down for the year, Rea stepped up and wound up throwing more innings than anyone besides Matthew Boyd.

Over 159 innings of work, the veteran right-hander worked to a 4.11 FIP/3.95 ERA, holding his own and helping keep the rotation afloat. Rea was the man who got the call on Friday afternoon when Horton was pulled - and he delivered, allowing just one run in 3 1/3 innings. Could we be in line for an encore in the weeks to come?

Ben Brown

That's right. I haven't given up hope - not yet. Although he's yet to show he can deliver consistency as the big-league level in his young career, Ben Brown has looked very sharp out of the Chicago bullpen in the first week, armed with a new sinker that drastically alters his attack plan with hitters.

He's punched out nearly one-third of the batters he's faced and posted an impressive ground ball rate, throwing his new offering 20 percent of the time. It's hard - nearly impossible in today's game - to be a successful starter with just two real offerings. This sinker could be the difference-maker that helps the big righty turn the corner and finally develop into the big rotation piece the Cubs believe he can be.

Javier Assad

Javier Assad's Thursday outing at Triple-A Iowa won't inspire much confidence (4.0 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 HR, 3 BB, 2 K) - but the right-hander has proven time and time again that he's a dependable backup plan when a guy goes down.

Across parts of four MLB seasons, Assad owns a 3.43 ERA that far outpaces his 4.24 FIP or 4.77 xERA, but at this point, I'm done questioning how he keeps outperforming expected metrics and am just gonna go with it. Rest assured, there's a role for him to play - either in the rotation or pen - with Horton sidelined.