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Cade Horton to have season-ending UCL surgery

Originally posted on Ball Exclusives | By Cameron Joyce | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 8:39 PM ET

Chicago Cubs ace starting pitcher Cade Horton is out for the year with an elbow injury, manager Craig Counsell announced. Horton finished as the runner-up in 2025 as the rookie of the year.

#Cubs Cade Horton will have surgery on his UCL and miss the rest of the season.

— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) April 7, 2026

Horton made his name known last season. He finished with a 2.67 ERA over 22 starts with an 11-4 record. He pitched into the seventh inning in his season debut on March 31, but only lasted one inning in his second start against the Cleveland Guardians.

What was thought of as a deep starting rotation has now fallen apart for the Cubs. Mathew Boyd was placed on IL after suffering a biceps injury and will miss at least six weeks. The team acquired Edward Cabrera this past offseason and will rely on Justin Steele, who is returning from a season-ending surgery from almost a year ago.

The Cubs hopes they can turn around their rough start quickly. They are off to a 4-6 start and is last in the NL Central. They play game two of their three game series against the Tampa Bay Rays tonight 6:40 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Ball Exclusives and was syndicated with permission.

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