Chicago Cubs

Jaxon Wiggins

SP

Counsell downplayed concern about the injury, noting that the 24-year-old righty should require "just a little time down" before he returns from the shelf. One of the Cubs' top pitching prospects, Wiggins made two starts for Iowa prior to being shelved, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and five walks while striking out 10 over eight innings.

Jordan Wicks

RP

Heading into spring training, Wicks was expected to vie for a spot in the Cubs' Opening Day bullpen, but he was shut down early in camp with left elbow inflammation and was later placed on the injured list. Given that Wicks tossed 37 pitches in his first rehab appearance, the Cubs may now be looking to stretch him out for a starting role, after Chicago's rotation depth has already been tested early on this season. Matthew Boyd (biceps) appears likely to beat Wicks back from the IL to reclaim a rotation spot from either Javier Assad or Colin Rea, but the Cubs may still be compelled to give Wicks a look as a starter if he continues to thrive while on assignment in Iowa.

Cade Horton

SP

Horton required a full Tommy John repair on his right UCL, which means he's unlikely to be ready to pitch again for the Cubs until the second half of 2027. The 24-year-old has authored a 2.66 ERA in his first 25 appearances (24 starts) at the major-league level.

Matthew Boyd

SP

Placed on the shelf April 6 due to a left biceps strain, Boyd looks poised to return from the IL in just over the minimum amount of time after checking out well following his rehab start Thursday with Triple-A Iowa. Boyd tossed 3.2 innings and 64 pitches in his appearance for Iowa, striking out six batters while allowing three earned runs on four hits and one walk. He could be operating with a light workload restriction Wednesday but should be capable of reaching the five innings he would need to hit to qualify for a win.

Daniel Palencia

RP

It's unclear when Palencia -- who hasn't pitched since Sunday -- was hurt, but the injury will knock him out at least for the next couple weeks and perhaps longer. The Cubs are also currently without Hunter Harvey (triceps) and Phil Maton (knee), so their late-inning bullpen depth is thin. Caleb Thielbar could be the next man up for saves in the interim.

Porter Hodge

RP

Hodge opened the season on the 15-day IL due to a right flexor strain that he sustained during spring training. There was initial hope that he would be able to play catch by the beginning of April, but it appears Hodge's injury is severe enough for him to go under the knife. Given the extent of the injury, it wouldn't be surprising to see Hodge miss the opening portion of the 2027 season as well.

Ethan Roberts

RP

It's unclear what injury Roberts is dealing with, but it will cost him at least the next couple weeks of action. The right-hander has made three scoreless appearances out of the Cubs' bullpen this season.

Hunter Harvey

RP

Both of the hits Harvey allowed left the yard, as he served up a solo home run to Gabriel Arias and a two-run shot to Chase DeLauter in the seventh inning in an eventual 4-1 defeat for the Cubs. The righty reliever had tossed 2.1 scoreless frames across his first two appearances with his new team, but Friday was a step backward. Harvey should be able to rebound, and he's still positioned as a key setup arm in Chicago ahead of closer Daniel Palencia.

Phil Maton

RP

Maton struggled in the sixth inning and ended up taking his first loss with his new team in a 2-0 defeat. The veteran righty looked much sharper across two scoreless appearances to start the season, and after posting a 2.79 ERA in 61.1 innings for the Cardinals and Rangers last year, there's no reason to believe this will be anything more than a blip on the radar. Maton should continue to serve as a key setup option in front of closer Daniel Palencia.

Brandon Birdsell

RP

Birdsell had elbow reconstruction surgery last summer -- he also had Tommy John surgery in high school -- and Callis reports that Birdsell will miss the entire regular season. Perhaps he will get healthy in time to participate in the Arizona Fall League or winter ball.

Jeff Brigham

RP

Brigham made four relief appearances for the Diamondbacks last season, yielding three runs over 3.1 innings. He'll turn 34 in February and has collected a 4.85 ERA over 94 appearances (four starts) covering parts of six big-league seasons. Brigham is likely to begin the 2026 season as relief depth at Triple-A Iowa.

Justin Steele

SP

Steele is progressing as anticipated after undergoing UCL revision surgery back on April 18, 2025, but he'll still need at least the first two months of the 2026 season to complete the lengthy recovery process. The southpaw checked off a major box in his rehab program by facing live hitters in batting practice sessions just under two weeks ago. He'll likely continue to gradually increase the volume and intensity of his pitching in live BP sessions and simulated games over at least the next few weeks before eventually embarking on an extended minor-league rehab assignment.

Tyler Austin

1B

Austin hasn't appeared in the majors since 2019, but after a successful run in Japan with the Yokohama Bay Stars over the last six seasons, he joined the Cubs on a one-year deal over the winter and appeared to have the inside track on a reserve role with Chicago. However, with Austin having since required knee surgery, he'll be ticketed for an extended stint on the injured list. The Cubs likely won't have a clearer target date for Austin's return until weeks down the road, when he'll be further along in the rehab process.

Trent Thornton

RP

It's not clear whether it's a major- or minor-league contract, but Thornton has landed a deal after throwing for teams in a "Pro Day" at Tread Athletics training facility. Thornton had surgery in August to repair a torn left Achilles tendon but has a chance to be ready in time for Opening Day. The right-handed reliever posted a 4.68 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 32:14 K:BB over 42.1 innings for the Mariners in 2025 before getting hurt.

Shelby Miller

RP

Miller inked a two-year, $2.5 million contract with Chicago on Feb. 13, but as expected, he will spend the 2026 campaign on the IL. The 35-year-old is recovering UCL and flexor tendon surgery that he underwent Oct. 13, and he'll target a return to action in 2027. In a corresponding move, the Cubs claimed infielder Ben Cowles off waivers from the Blue Jays on Sunday.