Brutal injury wrecks Cubs prospect’s chance to join big-league roster

As the Chicago Cubs wait for the returns of Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad, Brandon Birdsell figured to be in line to make his Major League debut in the coming weeks. Like Assad, Birdsell, who entered the season as the Cubs' top pitching prospect, recently made his return to the Iowa Cubs, and chances are he would have been a September call-up when rosters expand. Instead, Birdsell's 2025 season has come to an end.

The assumption is that Birdsell suffered an elbow injury that ended his 2025 season, but it should be noted that his initial injury was described as a shoulder issue. It's certainly possible that the two are related, and it's just a matter of semantics.

In 4 starts with the Iowa Cubs upon his return, Birdsell had an ERA of 3.38 through 18 2/3 innings pitched. It's worth noting there was an uptick in his walk rate compared to previous seasons, so it's possible that was an indicator that things weren't fully right for the Cubs' pitching prospect.

Brutal injury robs Brandon Birdsell of chance at long-awaited MLB debut

More details on Birdsell's injury are needed, but there's a chance that he has pitched for the last time in the Cubs organization. Birdsell is eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason, so he would need to be added to the Cubs' 40-man roster if they wanted to protect him. However, considering the injury and the implications of being selected in the Rule 5 draft, it would seem unlikely that teams will take a gamble on Birdsell, given that he would be required to remain on their 26-man roster.

With Birdsell now sidelined for the remainder of the season, keep an eye on Spencer Turnbull as a potential September call-up for the Cubs. In his last start with the Iowa Cubs, Turnbull tossed five scoreless innings while striking out 5. Far from a savior, the Cubs adding a pitcher like Turnbull to their roster in September would strictly be for eating innings.

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