(670 The Score) Cubs top pitching prospect Cade Horton has been dominant at Triple-A this season, recording a 1.24 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in six starts with the Iowa Cubs.
Horton has allowed no more than one run in each of his six outings and has given up just 12 hits in 29 innings this season. His emergence has come at a time in which the Cubs have a hole in their big league rotation.
On Monday, the Cubs placed ace Shota Imanaga on the 15-day injured list with a hamstring strain. It was the latest big blow to their starting rotation. Left-hander Justin Steele underwent season-ending elbow surgery in April, and right-hander Javier Assad, the team's projected fifth starter, has been sidelined all season long with an oblique injury.
With Imanaga out for at least a few weeks, will the Cubs call upon Horton? On the Spiegel & Holmes Show on Tuesday, general manager Carter Hawkins reminded everyone that the decision on Horton is based on much more than just the box scores.
“The thing that he’s really been working on down there is landing his breaking balls,” Hawkins said. “He has a lot of swing-and-miss stuff. That gets him deep into counts. He gets a lot of foul balls, things like that. We want to try to have him be a little bit more efficient. When he’s landing his breaking balls, he’s not going to get as deep into counts and be able to get deeper into games. That’s what he’s focused on.
“The underlying aspect of that is getting his delivery in a really good place. He’s made some really good strides this year. The results have been good. Very encouraged by his progress. He’s definitely put himself on the radar prior to this Shota injury, and certainly he’ll be in the mix as we make these decisions.”
Horton was a first-round pick of the Cubs in 2022. His turn in the Iowa Cubs’ rotation – with his most recent start coming Sunday – happened to fall in line with Imanaga’s place in the big league Cubs' rotation.
The Cubs called upon reliever Gavin Hollowell on Monday to fill Imanaga’s roster spot, but the team hasn’t yet determined who will fill his spot in the rotation.
The Cubs will host the Giants on Tuesday evening at Wrigley Field in the second game of their series. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. CT. The game can be heard on 670 The Score and the Audacy app, with pregame coverage starting at 6:05 p.m.