Cubs Pitcher Cade Horton to Miss 2026 Season, Faces Elbow Surgery

Cade Horton's elbow has ended his 2026 season before it truly began. The Chicago Cubs confirmed April 7 that Horton will miss the remainder of the year and undergo elbow surgery, a blow to a rotation that has now lost two starters in the season's opening two weeks.

The sequence moved quickly. Horton exited a start in Cleveland the previous Friday with right forearm tightness and was placed on the 15-day injured list after the game. Imaging and specialist consultation then indicated a significant injury, and manager Craig Counsell confirmed the club expects Horton to miss the rest of the season.

ESPN 1000 insider Jesse Rogers, citing multiple sources, reported the MRI results were "not good" and "not clean," and that Horton would travel to Texas for a consultation with Dr. Keith Meister, a surgeon who specializes in Tommy John procedures.

For Horton, the scenario carries painful echoes. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 as a pitcher at the University of Oklahoma, and if he and the Cubs elect the same procedure now, it would be the second time in his career he has faced the operation. Aware of that history, the Cubs had already limited his pitch counts through his rookie season in an effort to protect his arm.

Recovery from Tommy John surgery typically extends well into the following season for pitchers, making a 2027 return the realistic target if surgery is confirmed.

The rotation situation grew worse when left-hander Matthew Boyd was also placed on the 15-day injured list Monday with a left biceps strain. Chicago, sitting at 4-6 and playing in Tampa Bay, now faces a pitching staff thinned by significant injuries before April is halfway done.

A second Tommy John surgery would raise legitimate questions about Horton's long-term durability, though successful surgery and rehabilitation could still allow a return to prior form. For a Cubs organization that carefully rationed his innings during his rookie year, the immediate challenge is finding rotation depth while waiting on results that will shape the next chapter of Horton's career.