Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton throws against the San Diego Padres in a spring training game at Sloan Park. Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Cubs Call Up Top Pitching Prospect For Series Against Mets

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Jack Ankony | Last updated May 9, 2025 7:12 PM ET

CHICAGO – Cade Horton is expected to make his highly anticipated MLB debut as the Chicago Cubs travel to New York for a three-game series against the Mets from Friday to Sunday.

This roster move comes as a result of the Cubs starting rotation being hit hard by injuries. Justin Steele is out for the season with an elbow injury, and fellow lefty Shota Imanaga was recently placed on the 15-day injured list Monday with a left hamstring strain. They were expected to be the Cubs top two starters this season, but now manager Craig Counsell and the front office must adapt.

The Cubs have not yet officially announced when Horton will pitch – or whether he'll start or come out of the bullpen – but he's with the team in New York. The most likely scenario appears to be Horton starting Saturday's game, which would have been Imanaga's spot in the rotation.

Horton is ranked No. 2 in the Cubs' farm system, No. 1 among Chicago's pitching prospects and No. 46 in the MLB Pipeline rankings. The Cubs selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma.

A right shoulder injury limited him to 34.1 innings in Triple-A and Double-A last season, but now he's ready to make his big league debut. In a recent episode of The Payoff Pitch Podcast, Fastball On SI columnist Jack Ankony gave his thoughts on the Cubs calling up Horton.

"He's a guy that I think a lot of people thought was going to make his debut last year, and then he got injured so it pushed things back," Ankony said. "... But he's been unreal in Triple-A this year. He's got a 1.24 ERA, 0.86 WHIP in 29 innings."

"I just think they're going to be a careful with the innings because this is really a season where – for a lot of reasons with the front office and free agents and other topics with the whole team – this is a year where I think the Cubs are really going to try to go for it. And I think they would rather have Cade Horton at his best in August, September, October than May and June."

For more comments on Horton's upcoming MLB debut and other topics around the league, check out the full episode of The Payoff Pitch Podcast below.