Shota Imanaga injury Fallout: What’s next for Cubs Pitching employees?

Chicago – In the next two weeks, a real test of the Chicago Cubs -Mettle will be.

This is a team that defeated a start of 21-13 until the 2025 season before Shota Imanaga limp against the Milwaukee Brewers late Sunday afternoon.

Imanaga was placed on the 15-day IL with a left thigh pollution on Monday afternoon, and the Cubs now have to find a way to navigate at least the next two weeks. The team is also without Justin Steele, who underwent an elbow surgery at the end of the season in mid -April.

It is a nightmare scenario for the cubs, but they always knew that this was a possibility. Pitching injuries are widespread in sports, and the teams have built up in situations just like this.

“This is the nature of our game,” said Jed Hoyer, President of the Cub President of Baseball operations, on Monday afternoon in Wrigley Field. “They always build deep and always have to deal with injuries. They hope that it is not one of their best players, the best jugs. But that happens.

“Hopefully we can find out when we can get it back healthy. But we just have to strengthen. Nobody will pause for us.”

As Hoyer said, the rest of the league doesn’t matter that the cubs are without their two top start jugs.

Timing is certainly not ideal, since the Cubs should proceed this weekend against a playoff candidate in the New York Mets, but the schedule is then illuminated. The Cubs later play the Marlins, White Sox and Rockies – three of the worst teams in the league this month.

The Cubs do not know what type of timeline they look at with managa’s injury, but they know that they need players to fill the gap.

When Steele went down, Veteran Colin Rea slipped into the rotation from the Bullpen and was incredible (2: 0, 1.86 ERA in four starts).

It was a relatively simple movement for the Cubs to replace Steele. Rea was signed in this low season after he had taken 49 starts for the brewers in the past two years, and it was expected to celebrate starts at some point this year, even though he started in the Bullpen.

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This time the answers are not so easy for the Cubs – even if the fans have an idea of ​​who they want to insert into the rotation.

Top Pitching Prospect Cade Horton is certainly an option, although the team reluctantly announced the 23-year-old right-handed starter on Saturday.

Horton started for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, so he has the same schedule as Imangas has space in the rotation. He has also been dominated lately – with just two runs in his last 15.2 innings.

“I’m just trying to ensure that it is the right time,” said Hoyer about a potential Horton call. “I think it’s easier to work in the minors in things and he didn’t do much last year.

“If he had put up last season last season, he might have debuted now. And if he debuted, they would have a better feeling where he is. While he missed a lot of time last year, I think it was good to give him a foundation in Iowa.”

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This weekend, the Cubs have an off-day day before the METS series, so you have some time to sort all options. Even throughout the season, they want to take a large view of a large view and do not hurry into a decision just to solve the short -term solution.

“We have options on how we want to record (Saturday in New York),” said manager Craig Punsell. “We have some length in our bullpen, so we have some ways to attack this game.”

Such a length option in the Bullpen is the veteran Chris Flexen, which the Cubs called at the end of last week. In the off-season, he signed a minor League contract with the team and turned away well in Triple-A (1.16 ERA) before he received advertising for the majors.

He worked against the Brewers three Shutout -Internings in the victory on Friday and was extended as a starter in the minor.

Flexen has 110 career -MLB begins with the belt, but it could also serve as a mass option if the Cubs want to treat one of the games against the Mets as a bullpen day.

Brad Keller represents another length in the bullpen when he started his career as a starter with the Kansas City Royals. However, he only played out of the Bullpen this season and was not stretched out – he triggered in two of his 13 appearances in two innings.

The Cubs also have the young left-handed Jordan Wicks in the small leagues, but this season he has struggling 6.38 ERA in five triple-A games and a 13.50 ERA in two MLB aid appearances.

“Nobody will be shota,” said Hoyer. “But we have to make boys appear. Our depth is challenged a bit, but I think we still have pretty good depths and options.

“We have to make these boys appear.”