Cubs are reportedly calling up Riley Martin to replace an injured Cade Horton

The Chicago Cubs are reportedly calling up their #28-ranked prospect, left-hander Riley Martin, to take the place of Cade Horton, who was placed on the 15-day IL after leaving his start Friday after just 17 pitches with 'right forearm discomfort'.

Horton entered the year with sky-high expectations - and it's not hard to see why. The former University of Oklahoma standout finished runner-up in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season after a dominant second half, leading many to view him as the Cubs' ace heading into 2026.

He was sharp in his season debut, tossing 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball, but departed his second outing in just the second inning. The Cubs are awaiting results from further tests but, for now, he's not part of the equation - an early blow to a rotation that's already without Justin Steele until, at the earliest, late May.

Martin, 28, gets the call with the chance to make his big-league debut after being selected in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Quincy University. He's coming off the best year of his career last year with Triple-A Iowa, when he worked to a 2.69 ERA and 30.7 percent K rate across 63 2/3 innings of work.

Riley Martin won't replace Cade Horton in the Cubs' starting rotation - but the move tells us who will

Martin gives Craig Counsell another left-handed option in the bullpen - and one with swing-and-miss stuff, at that - but he's not going to slot into the rotation. What this move tells us though is it'll be Colin Rea who takes Horton's spot - which makes sense. It's a role he thrived in last season and he was the first man out of the pen when Horton left Friday's start.

Right now, there's a cautious uneasiness in the air. The organization, fans and, I'm sure Horton himself, are waiting to see what the official diagnosis is and when/if he can return this year. It's a potentially season-defining injury, but for now, it's on Martin and the rest of the staff to keep things afloat.