Cubs rotation outlook now tied to Justin Steele after Cade Horton injury

The optics surrounding Justin Steele's return to the Chicago Cubs' starting rotation may have shifted. With the trade for Edward Cabrera during the offseason, the Cubs took the pressure off of Steele's recovery. He was still being factored into the overall plans for the 2026 season, but mostly with the hope of having him fully ramped up by October. The injury to Cade Horton may have magnified the importance of Steele's return.

At the moment, it would seem that the Cubs are going to rely on Colin Rea and Javier Assad. The Cubs are also currently without Matthew Boyd, who is recovering from a bicep strain. The silver lining with Boyd, unlike Horton, is that he is expected to return to the rotation once his IL stint is over in a couple of weeks.

Projecting the Chicago Cubs' starting rotation after Cade Horton's injury magnifies Justin Steele's return

As of now, the indication is that Horton will miss the entire 2026 season. The Cubs haven't confirmed the news just yet, but that is the lean. With that in mind, it changes the projection for the Cubs' rotation once Steele returns.

1. Matthew Boyd
2. Edward Cabrera
3. Justin Steele
4. Jameson Taillon
5. Shota Imanaga

It needs to be stated that the Cubs don't have an internal option capable of replacing Horton's impact in the rotation. Steele was once viewed as the ace of the rotation, but upon his return, it's unlikely Cubs fans will see that version of the starting pitcher right away. Jaxon Wiggins certainly is one of the more electric pitching prospects the Cubs have had in recent years, but it would be unfair to expect him to step into Horton's role this season.

The silver lining in the rotation is that, through two starts, Edward Cabrera looks to be the top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher the Cubs believed they were getting in their trade with the Miami Marlins during the offseason.

It remains early, especially in the realm of the MLB Trade Deadline, but it's fair to speculate that the Cubs will be in the market for starting pitching. They were last summer, and their answer was Michael Soroka. That can't be the answer this time around. The Cubs can't reach October for the second consecutive season and run out of effective starting pitching options. If they do, that would be a massive failure for Jed Hoyer in a season that started with lofty expectations.