Several Chicago Cubs Pitchers Working To Return From Injuries

The Chicago Cubs could soon get an internal boost to their pitching staff.

On Tuesday, starter Shota Imanaga is scheduled to throw a bullpen in Arizona, while relievers Porter Hodger and Eli Morgan will pitch in Iowa, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.

Imanaga was placed on the injured list on May 5 with a left hamstring strain. Hodge hit the shelf on May 18 with a left oblique injury. That has since been resolved, but now Hodge is dealing with a left hip impingement. Morgan has been on the injured list since April 15 with a right elbow impingement.

All three pitchers were viewed as key pieces to the Cubs' pitching staff going into the season, which is a credit to how Chicago has worked around the injuries to achieve a 44-28 record and a 5.5-game lead in the NL Central.

Imanaga is coming off an impressive 2024 season – his first in the major leagues – in which he recorded a 2.91 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP across 173.1 innings. The Japanese left-hander finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting and fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He had a 2.82 ERA in his first eight starts in 2025 before the injury.

Hodge was a high-leverage reliever for the Cubs last season, notching nine saves with a 1.88 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. He wasn't as sharp to begin 2025, allowing 11 earned runs in 19.1 innings. But he still saved two games, and the Cubs will certainly welcome his return to the bullpen.

Morgan was one of several additions to the bullpen during the offseason. The Cubs traded their No. 21 prospect Alfonsin Rosario to the Guardians in exchange for Morgan, a 29-year-old right-hander. Morgan had a 1.93 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP across 42 innings with Cleveland last season, though he allowed 10 earned runs in his first 7.1 innings as a Cub before his injury.

The Cubs have been rumored to be looking for pitching at the trade deadline, whether it be for the starting rotation or the bullpen. That still seems likely, given the season-ending injury to Justin Steele, but getting Imanaga, Hodge and Morgan back in the mix should help the Cubs push for their first playoff appearance since 2020.