Cubs plan to call up their top pitching prospect Horton (source)

CHICAGO -- Cade Horton has been performing lately like a pitcher with little left to prove with Triple-A Iowa. With the Major League staff now facing a sudden need, the Cubs are planning on giving their top pitching prospect his first test on the big league stage.

Horton (MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 Cubs prospect and No. 46 on the Top 100 list) is expected to be promoted for his MLB debut during this weekend’s road series against the Mets, a source told MLB.com on Thursday’s off-day for the ballclub. The Cubs have not confirmed the news, which was first reported by the Des Moines Register.

“He’s just continued to get better from start to start,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said earlier this week. “And he’s been consistently good down there. He’s sort of built off a good Spring Training, but his last couple starts were better than the first couple starts down there.

“He’s been going six innings and throwing well. He’s done his part in Triple-A.”

Hoyer discussed the 23-year-old Horton after indicating that the right-hander was indeed “an option” to join the Cubs in the wake of lefty Shota Imanaga’s recent injury. Imanaga landed on the 15-day injured list on Monday due to a left hamstring strain, which is expected to keep him sidelined for at least a few weeks.

As things are currently lined up, veteran righty Jameson Taillon is scheduled to start for the Cubs on Friday in the opener of the three-game road set against the Mets. Imanaga’s day to start would have been Saturday, and Chicago’s staff is still weighing the best way to handle the pitching for that game.

It is possible that Horton is promoted from the I-Cubs to start in place of Imanaga, or Cubs manager Craig Counsell might consider using an opener on Saturday. In all likelihood, Counsell will want to see how Friday’s game goes before making a firm decision.

“We have options in how we want to pitch and decide to do that day against the Mets,” Counsell said on Monday. “We’ve got an off-day on Thursday. We’ve got length in our bullpen. We’ve got some ways to attack that game, if we want to choose to do it differently.”

Horton last pitched for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, putting him in line to pitch on Saturday without any restrictions. The righty worked a career-high six innings for the second outing in a row and was efficient in both starts. Horton logged 78 pitches and 77 pitches, respectively, in his last two turns.

Overall this season, Horton has turned in a 1.24 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 13 walks in 29 innings. He has surrendered just 12 hits (including two home runs), while holding opposing batters to a .129/.241/.204 slash line. Horton has been sitting around 95-96 mph with his fastball this season, while touching 98 at times.

A first-round pick by the Cubs in the 2022 Draft (seventh overall), Horton has logged a 2.79 ERA with 190 strikeouts in 151 2/3 innings in 36 starts since 2023. He was limited to just nine starts last year between Double-A and Triple-A due to an injury related to his right shoulder.

Given Horton’s injury history, the Cubs are closely monitoring a wide range of data related to both his pitching and training. What the team does not have is a hard innings cap for the prospect.

“I think having a pre-set number, I don't think that makes a lot of sense,” Hoyer said. “I think what makes more sense is really paying attention if you see dips in certain factors that are important and that we’ll be aware of. I think that goes for all our pitchers.”