Craig Counsell Keeping Coy About Cade Horton Call-Up
Shōta Imanaga left Sunday’s game in Milwaukee with a left hamstring strain, making him the second of three lefty starters to go on the shelf. And while he won’t be out nearly as long as Justin Steele, and perhaps not even as long as Steel was down at the start of last season, the loss is palpable. With top pitching prospect Cade Horton pitching well in Triple-A, speculation naturally turned to whether the Cubs will promote him to take Imanaga’s spot in the order.
It’s a matter of when, not if, Horton will be called up to the big leagues this season, but not being on the 40-man roster and not being needed until at least Saturday affords the team a little more time to make a decision. Based on Craig Counsell‘s clipped responses during Wednesday’s postgame media availability, it doesn’t sound like anything has been determined. Or maybe he’s just being coy.
“No,” Counsell answered when asked whether he’d decided on a starter for Saturday.
“No,” he repeated when asked whether Chris Flexen pitching Wednesday removed him from contention.
“Uh, we’re gonna huddle up after the game here and talk about it, yeah,” he responded when asked if a decision would be made on Thursday.
Craig Counsell speaks on the Cubs’ potential starter for Saturday. pic.twitter.com/V6YJTFtJHk
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) May 7, 2025
Well, that certainly clears things up.
Though Counsell is predictably keeping his cards close to the vest on this one, whether to keep things cloudy for opponents or because he was upset about losing two in a row, other pitching decisions may have tipped his hand. As referenced in one of the questions, Flexen just pitched single innings on back-to-back days after working three innings of relief in Milwaukee last Friday. Used exclusively as a starter for Iowa, the most recent of his five appearances there came on April 26 and lasted just one inning.
While the Cubs could have him push the envelope, it’s unlikely they’d be looking to Flexen as anything other than an opener if he takes the bump this weekend. That would mean going with a bullpen game, which isn’t a huge risk given the way the schedule softens after they leave Queens. Then again, they might be better served to keep a little powder dry.
We can say pretty definitively that the Cubs won’t be promoting Jordan Wicks to take a spot start. He’s had some struggles at Triple-A and was hit hard in two relief appearances in Chicago, but performance is less an issue than timing. The lefty just went five innings for the I-Cubs on Wednesday, so he’s out of the mix for the time being.
Horton started on Sunday, going six innings for the second game in a row and getting at least five strikeouts for the sixth time in six starts this season. He is a natural fit to step in for Imanaga based on being synced up in the rotation, and he’s also the Cubs’ best option from a talent perspective. There are concerns about having him debut against the NL East-leading Mets, but what good is having your best pitching prospect since Mark Prior if you’re scared to throw him into the fire?
Perhaps the biggest impediment to Horton’s promotion this weekend is the need for spots on the 40-man and active rosters. Vidal Bruján seems like a strong candidate to check both boxes, but the Cubs might prefer to part with Gavin Hollowell simply for roster balance. Regardless of how they make it work, Horton should be up to face the Mets in Queens and then the White Sox six days later for his Wrigley Field debut. He would then be lined up to get the Marlins in Miami and the Rockies back home late in the month.
If going up against a first-place team presents a difficult meal to start his MLB career, facing three bottom-feeders with a combined 30-78 record would be a nice digestif. Now we just have to wait and see if the Cubs agree.
