CHICAGO — Cade Horton is facing a recovery period that could last 16 months, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Friday, following major surgery on the pitcher’s right elbow.
Dr. Keith Meister, a prominent surgeon who also serves as the head team physician for the Texas Rangers, handled Thursday’s procedure, which according to Counsell involved revising the ulnar collateral ligament, repairing the flexor muscle and internal bracing.
Horton, 24, finished second in last season’s National League Rookie of the Year voting, going 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA and flashing the potential to someday be a legitimate Cy Young Award contender.
“When something like this happens, the only thing you can do is kind of worry about what’s next,” Counsell said Friday at Wrigley Field. “If you put your head on some big timeframe, that’s not very helpful.
“With Cade, we talked about just worrying about today. Make today the best you can, and just keep doing that. That’s how you somehow speed this process along a little bit. But if you get too far ahead of yourself, it’s certainly a long recovery.”
Horton had already undergone Tommy John surgery by the time the Cubs drafted him with the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft out of Oklahoma, where he helped lead the Sooners to the College World Series.
That medical history factored into the organization’s extremely conservative handling of Horton, both as a minor-league prospect and a highly productive member of the major-league rotation.
The Cubs had hoped to unleash Horton later this season, viewing him as the type of competitor who would be comfortable starting Game 1 of a playoff series.
Without warning, Horton exited his April 3 road start against the Cleveland Guardians after throwing only 15 pitches. Over the next two weeks, a series of injuries would strike Chicago’s pitching staff, depleting the organization’s depth and forcing the club to scramble.
One positive development is that Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd, who’s on the injured list with a left biceps strain, came away from Thursday’s rehab start with Triple-A Iowa unscathed.
The Cubs are planning to activate Boyd next week and start him during their upcoming series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field. Within the clubhouse, players and coaches understand that they will have to figure it out during Horton’s absence.
“I know Cade’s in good spirits right now,” Boyd said. “When surgery happens, there’s a clear path forward. It doesn’t mean it’s easy, but it’s like, ‘This is what I have to do now. This is what it’s going to look like. Cool, let’s lay out the plan. Let’s lay out the long-term plan and put that on the wall. And then let’s lay out the day-by-day plan and go attack it.’ You have a clear direction.
“To know that he’s not going to be taking the ball, that’s hard. But you also look to the future and say, ‘OK, I’m going to do everything I can to be ready for when the ball is back in my hand.’ Cade, as we all know, has a great head on his shoulders. He has that mentality. He came to that clarity very fast. He’s mature beyond his years. He’s going to come back stronger from this.”
A best-case scenario for Horton would seemingly be pitching for the Cubs again at some point during the summer of 2027.
“You want Cade Horton in your rotation because Cade Horton is an ace,” Boyd said. “And he will be when he comes back.”
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