Shota Imanaga pulled from latest start due to injury, Cubs fans raise the panic alarm

After Justin Steele is already out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this month, Chicago Cubs fans are panicking with the latest update to Shota Imanaga.

Imanaga pitched 5 scoreless innings against the Pirates on Tuesday night before being pulled from the game for what seemed to be a lower body injury.

Shota Imanaga pulled from latest start due to injury.

There were no clear signs of distress from Imanaga when he made his final pitch on Tuesday night. If there is a silver lining to be had, it's that Imanaga did not appear to suffer an injury to his throwing arm. After being pulled from the game, Imanaga and the Cubs' training staff went straight to the clubhouse. The Cubs will likely provide an update on Imanaga after the game.

When Imanaga was talking to the Cubs' training staff, it seemed like he was focused on his leg. Without knowing anything further, it's possible that Imanaga is dealing with a soft tissue injury. While not terrible, those are type of injuries that tend to linger. Javier Assad has yet to return from the oblique strain he suffered at the start of spring training.

If Imanaga is forced to miss time, the Cubs may deem it time to promote top pitching prospect Cade Horton. After missing most of the 2024 season with the Iowa Cubs due to injury, Horton has been dominating the level to open the 2025 season. Horton is boasting a Sub-2 ERA with the Iowa Cubs this season, and it feels like it's only a matter of time before he joins the Cubs' Major League pitching staff.

If not Horton, the Cubs still have Jordan Wicks with the Iowa Cubs as well as veteran Chris Flexen. Flexen is off to an impressive start with the Iowa Cubs, posting a 1.16 ERA through his first 5 starts of the minor-league season. If you're keeping track at home, Horton and Flexen are not currently on the Cubs' 40-man roster.

UPDATE 7:57 PM

In an update provided by Cubs, Imanaga left the game due leg cramps. With that in mind, seems that the Cubs avoided a serious injury.