Cubs Injury Updates: The latest on Javier Assad, Ben Brown and Cade Horton

The Chicago Cubs headed into camp with its most solid mix of pitching depth in years - and how that logjam sorts itself out will be a major storyline to keep an eye on in the final weeks of spring training.

Chicago is on an irregular timetable, with the Tokyo Series in mid-March interrupting their usual Cactus League schedule. So keeping tabs on all injuries is critical - and that extends far past the 'all hands on deck' approach to top prospect Matt Shaw given his importance at third base.

In Tuesday's episode of North Side Territory, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney pulled the curtain back on several pitchers' status as the calendar nears March. Perhaps most importantly, we finally got a concrete diagnosis of the neck issue that cost right-hander Ben Brown a considerable chunk of the 2024 season.

According to Sharma, Brown was suffering from an osteoma, which is a benign tumor made of bone that are usually found on the skull. Every time he went to throw, his neck would lock up - and it eventually became a big enough issue that it sidelined him. It resolved itself with time and he's been issue-free since last October - a promising sign for both he and the Cubs.

Javier Assad is yet to throw off a mound at Cubs spring training

That update is even more important given the latest on Javier Assad. According to Sharma and Mooney, the right-hander has not yet started throwing off a mound in Arizona. He's been playing catch, but it feels like an IL stint to open the regular season is inevitable.

Assad was in the mix for the fifth starter spot, along with Brown, but it seems like Brown has a good shot at cracking the starting five. He brings a completely different look than anyone else in that rotation and we saw what he's capable of when he was healthy last season. The lanky right-hander pitched to a 3.23 ERA in 39 innings as a starter in 2024 - and there's depth behind him, too.

Apart from Assad and Brown, Craig Counsell has options - including Jordan Wicks and Brad Keller, the latter of whom has been turning heads early in camp. One name who isn't being considered to round out the staff, however, is top pitching prospect Cade Horton.

Cade Horton will open the year at Iowa and look to re-establish himself

Heading into camp last year, Cade Horton had top prospect billing and the widespread belief was he'd make his big-league debut at some point during the season. Instead, injuries quickly de-railed his campaign and he hit the shelf after making just nine starts between Iowa and Tennessee.

This spring, the Cubs are focused on Horton getting back on track - not rushing him to be a key piece of the starting rotation early in the year. Here's what they had to say on North Side Territory about the team's approach to their top pitching prospect:

"He's not making the team out of camp. They want him to go out there and have innings. Get innings and be healthy and make all his starts and reclaim that top prospect status that he had entering last season."

So, again, we could get a look at Horton this summer - but he has work to do before he'll get that opportunity. The battle for the final spot in the rotation will continue to evolve over the next month, and it's far too soon to predict who will come out on top.