Craig Counsell reveals early blueprint for how the Cubs will survive without Cade Horton

It's hard to imagine more devastating news for Chicago Cubs fans this early in the season than the medical report handed down earlier this week regarding star right-hander Cade Horton, who is set to undergo season-ending elbow surgery in the coming days. Even in the face of that tremendous loss, however, the Cubs still have games to play. That means the Cubs' leadership will have the weighty task of replacing Horton in the rotation every fifth day, and manager Craig Counsell has already laid out a blueprint for how he intends to do that.

Counsell told reporters (including Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic) recently that the team is viewing Horton's injury as an opportunity for someone else to step up and prove themselves capable. With Horton and veteran lefty Matthew Boyd both hitting the injured list, those opportunities have first been presented to Javier Assad and Colin Rea. Both have shown the ability to step up and contribute meaningfully out of the rotation in the past, and the early returns on both are quite good in 2026.

Assad didn't make the team's Opening Day roster and scuffled a bit at Triple-A to open the year, but was called upon to shut down the Rays on Tuesday night and rose to the occasion. Assad struck out just three over his 5 2/3 innings of work and allowed some traffic on the bases, but nonetheless was able to put up a scoreless outing. Solid results despite shaky peripherals have defined Assad throughout his career, as he's posted a 3.37 ERA during his five seasons in the majors despite a FIP more than a full run higher than that (4.44).

As for Rea, he struck out just two in his five innings of work against Tampa on Wednesday night, but managed to hold the Rays to just one run on two hits and two walks. The 35-year-old veteran's work for the Cubs in 2025, when he filled in capably for Justin Steele in the rotation, is exactly the sort of production Chicago will hope to get from him this year in Horton's place. Rea posted a roughly average 3.95 ERA last year while eating 159 1/3 innings for the Cubs last season. Unlike Assad, the peripherals mostly matched the production, suggesting it could be a bit more reliable for the Cubs headed into this year.

It's too early for the Cubs to consider external replacements for Cade Horton

Assad and Rea are the plan to replace Horton (and, in the short term, Boyd) for now, but they aren't the only names that have been discussed. Sharma acknowledges the free agent elephant in the room: right-hander Lucas Giolito, longtime workhorse on the South Side, remains available and is a clear fit for the Cubs' needs on paper. That fit is downplayed by Sharma, however, who notes that the 31-year-old would need to build up to game-readiness in the minors after signing and that the Cubs may not view the righty as a wise investment.

Top prospect Jaxon Wiggins appears similarly unlikely to serve as the Cubs' savior, at least for the time being. Sharma writes that Wiggins has "significant developmental hurdles" to overcome before he's ready for the call to the majors, which may not come until later in the summer. Steele, meanwhile, is working his way back from his own UCL surgery and (according to Sharma) figures to begin a rehab assignment at some point in May. That would put him on the radar for a return to the majors in June.

Steele and Wiggins can provide reinforcements eventually, and the trade deadline can offer its own opportunities to fortify the rotation. For the next month or two, however, the Cubs seem to have every intention of leaning on their depth arms like Rea and Assad. If more injuries occur, perhaps the team will re-evaluate, or the next-man-up philosophy will continue the baton will be passed to players like Ben Brown, Vince Velasquez, and Connor Noland.