Cubs pitcher Cade Horton expected to miss up to 16 months after elbow surgery
Cubs pitcher Cade Horton expected to miss up to 16 months after elbow surgery
Ian CasselberryFri, April 17, 2026 at 8:14 PM UTC
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The news for Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton wasn’t likely to be good after he left his second start of the season with elbow discomfort. Four days later, the team announced that Horton would need season-ending elbow surgery.
Horton, 24, underwent that procedure Thursday. The work performed on his right elbow will require a recovery timetable of 15-to-16 months, Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters Friday.
The right-hander received a “revision repair” of the ulnar collateral ligament, a repair of the flexor muscle and an internal brace procedure. The surgery was performed by renowned orthopedist Dr. Keith Meister, who is also the head team physician for the Texas Rangers.
“When something like this happens, the only thing you can do is kind of worry about what’s next,” Counsell told reporters. “If you put your head on some big timeframe, that’s not very helpful. With Cade, we talked about just worrying about today and make today the best you can, and just keep doing that.”
This is the second major surgery Horton has undergone on his pitching elbow. He had Tommy John surgery during his freshman season at Oklahoma and returned to make 14 appearances for the Sooners in 2022. The Cubs drafted him in the first round (No. 7 overall) that year.
As a rookie, Horton compiled a 2.67 ERA and 11-4 record in 23 appearances (22 starts) last season, striking out 97 in 118 innings. He was particularly impressive in the second half of the season, registering a 1.03 ERA in 12 starts. With that performance, Horton finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
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This is the second consecutive season in which the Cubs suffered a season-ending injury to one of their starting pitchers.
Last April, Justin Steele required elbow surgery after four starts of the year. Like Horton, he underwent a revision repair to the UCL in his left elbow. He began playing catch in October and was able to face batters during spring training. The Cubs hope Steele will return in late May or June.
The Cubs did get some good pitching news Friday elsewhere. Top starter Matthew Boyd is expected to be activated Wednesday after making a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Thursday. Boyd, 35, went on the injured list on April 3 with a strained left biceps. Last season, he finished with a 3.21 ERA and 14-8 record, walking just 2.1 batters per nine innings in 31 starts. That earned him a berth on the NL All-Star team.
Daniel Palencia latest Cubs reliever to IL
The Cubs’ bullpen also suffered an injury, though not a season-ending one. Closer Daniel Palencia was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain. He joins relievers Phil Maton (right knee tendinitis), Hunter Harvey (right triceps strain) and Ethan Roberts (lacerated right finger) on the IL.
Palencia, 26, had not allowed a run in five appearances this season, giving up three hits with five strikeouts and two walks. During the World Baseball Classic, he threw five scoreless, hitless innings with nine strikeouts for champion Venezuela.
Last season, Palencia seized the Cubs’ closer role with a 2.91 ERA in 54 appearances. He earned 22 saves in 25 opportunities while striking out 61 in 52 2/3 innings.
Source: “AOL Sports”
