The extent of Horton\u2019s and Hodge\u2019s surgeries and potential timeline for their return won\u2019t be known until Meister goes in and determines the level of damage to their UCLs.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy process is probably very similar for both guys where you just immediately feel sorry for the player, but then you process, OK, who\u2019s up next, and you kind of have to move on quickly mentally,\u201d president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Wednesday. \u201cIt kind of sounds coldhearted, but that\u2019s the nature of the job that we\u2019ve had a lot of injuries early on. The season goes on, the games go on, you have to find replacements. And sometimes I look at it as an opportunity that maybe a guy steps up we didn\u2019t expect and then when everyone gets healthy, all of a sudden you have another reliever you weren\u2019t counting on.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s certainly been a trying time for us from an injury standpoint, and we just have to fight through it and try to get healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cubs hoped Hodge, 25, would be an important part of the bullpen following a disappointing 2025 when he had a 6.27 ERA in 36 appearances and missed time with injuries. Hodge showed his potential during his 2024 rookie season, posting a 1.88 ERA and nine saves in 39 games.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s super talented, he\u2019s physical, has a great fastball and great slider when he\u2019s right and he hasn\u2019t quite been right really since I guess last May, and so maybe that\u2019s a big part of it,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cAnd some guys come back even better from this. So unfortunately we won\u2019t have him for a while, but hopefully he bounces back strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cubs are trying to survive this challenging stretch as they have been decimated by pitching injuries. The organization will evaluate if there is anything they can identify to explain the volume of injuries so early in the season, but, as Hoyer noted, a lot of pitchers get hurt these days.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll do a deep dive and see if there\u2019s a commonality to the injuries,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cI feel like the last couple years coming out spring training we haven\u2019t had these issues and then all of a sudden this year, we\u2019re 17 games in, and we have this many injuries. So I certainly hope the pace slows \u2014 and hopefully we can get some of these guys back and start the process of kind of rebuilding that.\u201d<\/p>\n
They have 10 pitchers from their 40-man roster on the injured list. That group does not include top prospect Jaxon Wiggins<\/a>, who went on the IL at Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday with right elbow inflammation. Manager Craig Counsell said the Cubs believe Wiggins should be OK after giving his arm a little down time. The Cubs don\u2019t want Wiggins to throw until he\u2019s asymptomatic, whenever he gets to that point.<\/p>\n \u201cWith everyone early in the year, you need to be conservative,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cI mean, I think that\u2019s with a lot of these guys, there\u2019s zero benefit of pushing guys early in the season when we have hopefully six-plus months to play.\u201d<\/p>\n Counsell provided multiple injury updates on sidelined pitchers before Wednesday\u2019s series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies.<\/p>\n RHP Hunter Harvey<\/p>\n Harvey (right biceps inflammation) hasn\u2019t been doing much activity since landing on the IL last week. Counsell said he will need more than the minimum 15 days, adding there\u2019s \u201cno bad news, we\u2019re still in the same place, but probably more in the strengthening mode right now.\u201d<\/p>\n RHP Phil Maton<\/p>\n Maton (right knee tendinitis) continues to improve each day and is in a good place with his knee. The plan is for Maton to throw off a mound during the upcoming homestand and see where that leads. Maton hasn\u2019t stopped throwing since being placed on the IL a week ago. \u201cIt\u2019s really a matter of how long does it take to get the arm back to game condition, essentially recovery condition, where he can recover enough to be a member of the bullpen,\u201d Counsell said.<\/p>\n LHP Jordan Wicks<\/p>\n Wicks (left elbow inflammation) is at Iowa and scheduled to pitch Saturday. He has been sidelined since early in spring training and has been in buildup mode the last few weeks. Wicks\u2019 return would give the Cubs much-needed starting pitching depth at Iowa.<\/p>\n LHP Matthew Boyd
\n![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776306016_208_CTC-CUBS-ANGELS034_261207148.jpg\")
Cubs starter Matthew Boyd delivers against the Angels on April 1, 2026, at Wrigley Field. (Josh Boland\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n