\n<\/p>\n
CHICAGO \u2014 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\u2019s right elbow.<\/p>\n
Dr. Keith Meister, a prominent surgeon who also serves as the head team physician for the Texas Rangers, handled Thursday\u2019s procedure, which according to Counsell involved revising the ulnar collateral ligament, repairing the flexor muscle and internal bracing.<\/p>\n
Horton, 24, finished second in last season\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen something like this happens, the only thing you can do is kind of worry about what\u2019s next,\u201d Counsell said Friday at Wrigley Field. \u201cIf you put your head on some big timeframe, that\u2019s not very helpful.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Cade, we talked about just worrying about today. Make today the best you can, and just keep doing that. That\u2019s how you somehow speed this process along a little bit. But if you get too far ahead of yourself, it\u2019s certainly a long recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
That medical history factored into the organization\u2019s extremely conservative handling of Horton, both as a minor-league prospect and a highly productive member of the major-league rotation.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s pitching staff, depleting the organization\u2019s depth and forcing the club to scramble.<\/p>\n
One positive development is that Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd, who\u2019s on the injured list with a left biceps strain, came away from Thursday\u2019s rehab start with Triple-A Iowa unscathed.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Cade\u2019s in good spirits right now,\u201d Boyd said. \u201cWhen surgery happens, there\u2019s a clear path forward. It doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s easy, but it\u2019s like, \u2018This is what I have to do now. This is what it\u2019s going to look like. Cool, let\u2019s lay out the plan. Let\u2019s lay out the long-term plan and put that on the wall. And then let\u2019s lay out the day-by-day plan and go attack it.\u2019 You have a clear direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo know that he\u2019s not going to be taking the ball, that\u2019s hard. But you also look to the future and say, \u2018OK, I\u2019m going to do everything I can to be ready for when the ball is back in my hand.\u2019 Cade, as we all know, has a great head on his shoulders. He has that mentality. He came to that clarity very fast. He\u2019s mature beyond his years. He\u2019s going to come back stronger from this.\u201d<\/p>\n
A best-case scenario for Horton would seemingly be pitching for the Cubs again at some point during the summer of 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want Cade Horton in your rotation because Cade Horton is an ace,\u201d Boyd said. \u201cAnd he will be when he comes back.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n