Give credit where credit is due: injuries haven't slowed the Cubs' staff at all

When Cade Horton left his second start of the year early, it felt like a haymaker for the Chicago Cubs. Already without Justin Steele, who is continuing to work his way back from elbow surgery, a season-ending injury to last year's NL Rookie of the Year runner-up seemed like an insurmountable hurdle for the team to clear before the season really even got going.

But then, Shota Imanaga not only returned to his 2024 form, but looks better than ever, carrying a 2.45 ERA into Tuesday's start against Philadelphia, and guys like Javier Assad and Colin Rea have stemmed the bleeding in the rotation, covering key innings while Matthew Boyd was also sidelined due to injury.

Cubs starters rank fourth in the National League with a 3.45 ERA on the year, and have helped buy the offense some time as key guys look to get their feet under them. But the club's success runs deeper than guys stepping up in the rotation. Unheard of arms are coming out of the pen on a nightly basis, delivering strong results.

Arguably, the team's three biggest late-inning arms (Daniel Palencia, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton) are all on the IL - leaving a major void (and creating major opportunities) in the late innings. Hoby Milner was supposed to be a key part of this mix, and he's delivered (10 appearances, 1.69 ERA) but it's the guys around him who've made all the difference.

Cubs' bullpen has been a surprise strength, despite key guys getting hurt

Ben Brown has been far more good than bad (16.2 IP, 2.70 ERA) offering a glimmer of hope that the big right-hander is finally turning the corner and Caleb Thielbar has picked up right where he left off last year, working to a 2.25 ERA in nine innings of work, punching out 11 batters.

Cast-offs and reclamation projects like Riley Martin (6 1/3 innings of scoreless, four-hit ball out of the pen so far) and Corbin Martin (two scoreless appearances in recent days) have helped Craig Counsell weave together a workable bullpen as the Cubs have surged in the standings, entering Tuesday at 13-9, just 1 1/2 games out in what's been a surprisingly potent NL Central.

With Boyd set to return this week and Steele inching ever-closer to his long-awaited return, reinforcements are on the way. Depth was this team's big strength heading into 2026 and, even though it was tested far more quickly and dramatically than anyone anticipated, it's held the line and put the Cubs in a strong position heading into the closing weeks of April.

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