Cubs reveal Cade Horton surgery details that instantly shift expectations on and off the field

Cade Horton underwent surgery on Thursday, and the Chicago Cubs confirmed the 24-year-old had the Tommy John procedure. Horton previously underwent Tommy John surgery before the Cubs drafted him in 2022. The other option was a procedure that placed an internal brace in Horton's elbow, similar to what Justin Steele had done last year.

As expected, the recovery timeline for a second Tommy John surgery is a little longer than the timeline for the first instance. In a rough timeline, the Cubs are projecting a 15-16 month timeline.

If all things go well, that would place Horton's return around July of the 2027 season. It's entirely too early to speculate, considering the recovery of pitchers isn't linear, but the expectation should be that the Cubs will operate with caution. There shouldn't be an expectation to see Horton during the first half of the 2027 season. Best-case scenario, Horton's able to be a factor for the pitching staff by September of next season.

It's the worst-case scenario for Horton and the Cubs, as the internal brace procedure would have had a 12-month recovery timeline. There's also the concern of how the second Tommy John surgery alters Horton's profile as a pitcher. That won't be known for some time, and could alter how the Cubs construct their pitching staff next season.

Cade Horton's recovery timeline will alter the Cubs' offseason plans

With Horton now expected to miss a significant chunk of the 2027 season, the Cubs' long-term outlook for the starting rotation has changed. Justin Steele and Edward Cabrera are certainly going to be in the rotation, assuming health, but the remaining spots are a question mark.

The Cubs were likely hoping that Jaxon Wiggins would fill one of those spots, but he, too, is dealing with an injury concern. Even if Wiggins does pitch again this season, it would seem that there will be safeguards in place to limit his workload.

Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon are all free agents after the season. Previously, there was an expectation that the Cubs might let each of those three veterans hit the free-agent market. That still is the likeliest outcome, but perhaps Boyd and Taillon would be open to talks during the season.

The wild card is Imanaga. Imanaga, through his first few starts this season, certainly looks better than the pitcher he was in 2025, but surprisingly, also better than the potential Cy Young candidate he was in 2024. If he continues this resurgence, he is going to be one of the top arms available next offseason.

It's clear that pitching is going to remain a need for the Cubs beyond whatever current lever they pull to replace Horton in the starting rotation this season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow