Cubs starting pitcher Cade Horton to have season ending elbow surgery

Cade Horton (YouTube)

The Chicago Cubs received a major blow on Tuesday with the announcement that starting pitcher Cade Horton of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma will miss the rest of the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season. Horton has damaged his ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow according to the Associated Press and will require surgery.

At the beginning of the 2026 MLB regular season, Horton was slated to be the second pitcher in the Cubs starting rotation, just behind Matthew Boyd of Mercer Island, Washington. Boyd is also on the injury list for the Cubs as he is out with a biceps strain.

It was an excellent rookie season for Horton. In 118 innings pitched, he had a record of 11 wins and four losses with an earned run average of 3.05. During 23 games, Horton gave up 95 hits, 35 earned runs, 10 home runs, and 33 walks, to go along with 97 strikeouts, five quality starts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.09.

So far in 2026, Horton was also pitching very effectively. In two games and 7 1/3 innings pitched, he had a record of one win and zero losses with an earned run average of 2.45. Horton gave up four hits, two earned runs, one home run and two walks, to go along with four strikeouts and a sensational WHIP of 0.82. In Horton’s season debut, he pitched very effective as he had a quality start in a 10-2 Cubs win over the Washington Nationals. Horton gave up two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.

However, on April 3, Horton first experienced discomfort. He only pitched one inning (17 pitches) in a 4-1 Cubs loss to the Cleveland Guardians.

The Cubs are last in the National League Central. They are at five wins and six losses.