As Shota Imanaga Nears Return, Chicago Cubs Urgently Need Rotation Help

There is growing momentum for the return of Shota Imanaga to the Chicago Cubs’ rotation.

On Thursday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Imanaga is preparing to throw in his second Arizona Complex League game on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

His first ACL start saw him throw two innings, as he gave up one hit and struck out four against rookies from the Colorado Rockies organization.

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There was no pitch count from his outing, but in his previous bullpen he threw 37 pitchers. So, he still has a few more starts ahead to build up to a Major League workload. He’ll also need to pitch against better talent, so a trip to Triple-A Iowa is likely at some point. Reliever Porter Hodge will pitch at Iowa on Friday, per Lee.

The Cubs are one of baseball’s best stories. They’ve emerged as the favorite in the National League Central, where they have built one of the best offenses in baseball. It’s crafted around outfielders Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong, the latter of which is becoming a stealthy National League MVP candidate.

But, if there is one roadblock to the Cubs winning the division and, perhaps, making a return to the World Series for the first time since 2016, there is a clear and obvious issue Chicago must address at the trade deadline.

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The Athletic (subscription required) recently selected teams with the most urgent trade needs in three distinct areas — bats, bullpen and starting rotation.

The Cubs made the list for starting rotation. In fact, Chicago topped the list for starting rotation.

It isn’t just because Imanaga is on the injured list. It’s also not just because the rotation’s other left-hander, Justin Steele, is out for the season after Tommy John surgery.

The Athletic called the rotation “mediocre.” It also did the research and found that the rotation is considered below average when one accounts for wins above replacement (WAR), ERA or strikeout rate.

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Without Imanaga and Steele, the Cubs are rolling out Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Ben Brown, Colin Rea and Cade Horton.

Even Imanaga’s return won’t help enough. Right now, there are options that include Milwaukee’s Aaron Civale, who is asking for a trade, and the Mets’ Paul Blackburn, who is reportedly on the market.

But the Cubs will likely look for a pitcher with more experience and more effectiveness than either of those options. If Chicago wants to get back to a World Series, the need is clear and obvious.  

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