Cubs see reminder they are already too familiar with in Diamondbacks' crippling injury setback

Once upon a time, Corbin Burnes looked to be a sensible free-agent target of the Chicago Cubs. He had intimate familiarity with new manager Craig Counsell during his dominant run in Milwaukee, and he was the best available pitcher on the market during a moment when the North Siders needed an ace in the worst way.

Of course, he wound up singing a six-year, $210 million contract with the Diamondbacks, agreeing to front Arizona's rotation in an effort to get the 2023 World Series participants back to the promised land. That idea was all well and good, until Burnes hurt his elbow 11 starts into his contract and needed Tommy John surgery.

He missed the rest of 2025 while recovering with his sights set on a return to the fold sometime around the 2026 All-Star Break. Alas, fate was not on his side, as he's just suffered another setback that will keep him out until the very end of the regular season.

It's a brutal blow for one of the Cubs' primary Wild Card competitors, but also a glaring reminder from outside of Chicago that it is literally impossible to overprepare for pitching injuries.

Corbin Burnes' setback is the latest reminder for Cubs

Don't feel too bad for the D-backs; they're getting by just fine in the rotation, being led by a resurgent Eduardo Rodriguez and everyone's favorite cameo Cub Michael Soroka.

Soroka's frustrating brilliance aside, though, his acquisition last year is another potent lesson in throwing caution to the wind with pitching. He was the lone starter the Cubs acquired at least year's disappointing trade deadline, which blew up in the team's face immediately when he went down with an injury two innings into his tenure. He later returned, only to pitch with middling effectiveness out of the bullpen.

I don't need to tell you how dire things are on the pitching side of the ledger for the Cubs this year. They are, just barely, hanging on by running Ben Brown out there every fifth day and then hoping for good luck during the remainder of their games. Yes, the impending returns of Matthew Boyd and Edward Cabrera should greatly help matters, but the team needs to understand by now that it can't just rely on historically injury-prone pitchers to magically get healthy.

Assuming this win-now club wants to win in 2026, the front office can't get cute at the trade deadline. Cade Horton isn't walking back through that door, and who knows when or if Justin Steele will return to the fold. To have a chance, the Cubs will have to add starting pitching -- and lots of it.

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