Cubs RHP Cade Horton to undergo elbow surgery, miss remainder of 2026 season

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Cubs right-handed pitcher Cade Horton’s sophomore season is over. It lasted only 7 1/3 innings. He will require season-ending surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Tuesday.

Horton, 24, left his second start of the regular season in Cleveland last Friday against the Guardians during the second inning after feeling discomfort radiating up his forearm from his wrist. His fastball velocity had also seen a steep decline from 96. 5 mph in the first inning on Friday to 93.

8 mph in the second inning. He was added to the 15-day injured list on Sunday with right forearm discomfort. Despite initial optimism from Horton that the injury could be short-term, an MRI to discover the cause of the discomfort and its severity did not yield clean results.

ESPN reported early on Tuesday morning that Horton would seek another opinion. After debuting in May 2025, he quickly became a mainstay in the Cubs’ rotation before his post-All-Star break performance put him in contention for National League Rookie of the Year. From July 20 until he was placed on the injured list with a rib fracture last September, Horton sported a 1.