Chicago Cubs Starter Moved To 60-Day IL

The Chicago Cubs have moved Starting Pitcher Javier Assad to the 60-day IL. Assad had been on the 15-day IL to start the season nursing an oblique injury and was moved to the 60-day IL to make room for Chris Flexen on the active major league roster. The Chicago Cubs had hoped that Assad would be further along in his recovery at this point of the season, but with the Mexican-born right-hander not ready to return, the front office decided to move him to the 60-day IL and add Flexen to the active roster.

If the Chicago Cubs hadn’t elevated Flexen to the active roster, he would’ve been eligible for free agency and any team in MLB could’ve signed him to their 26-man roster. By moving Assad to the 60-day IL, Flexen can be added to the roster without the team needing to make a corresponding move. Flexen was signed in the offseason to be a depth piece for the pitching staff. While the Chicago Cubs aren’t thrilled that their depth is being tested this much so early in the season, they are prepared to deal with a setback in the recovery of one of their starters.

Chicago Cubs Move Javier Assad To 60-Day IL

The Chicago Cubs have moved Assad to the 60-day injured list. Assad, 27, has yet to take to the mound in 2025 after suffering an oblique injury before the start of the regular season. A setback in his recovery from the left oblique strain last week led to the ultimate decision to move him from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL and free up a spot on the 40-man and active MLB roster for Flexen.

Flexen was set to become eligible for free agency if he was not on the 40-man and active roster by the beginning of May. By bringing him up to the major league squad, the Cubs can retain the 30-year-old hurler and add him to their ailing bullpen. Flexen is the latest versatile pitcher to be added to the Chicago Cubs pitching staff. He has both starting and relieving experience in his big league career, amassing a 30-49 record with a 4.92 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 650.1 innings through 154 career appearances, 110 of those as a starter.

Flexen will be relied upon to provide long relief and eat-up innings for a stretched out Chicago Cubs pitching staff. After the injury to Justin Steele and the news that Assad will not be ready to return to the starting rotation for a while, Colin Rea was taken from the bullpen and inserted into the rotation. This created a gap in the bullpen. The Chicago Cubs are hoping that Flexen can be a part of the solution for supporting the stretched out rotation and freeing up the late-inning relievers in the bullpen.