Cubs top prospect Wiggins (right elbow) placed on Minor League IL

PHILADELPHIA -- The Cubs came into this year with the hope that top prospect Jaxon Wiggins could impact their pitching staff at some point this summer. That may still be the case, but the ballclub is pushing pause on the right-hander’s throwing at the moment.

On Wednesday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell noted that Wiggins -- Chicago's No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 52 prospect overall -- is currently dealing with right elbow inflammation. The 24-year-old Wiggins was placed on the Minor League injured list due to lingering soreness, which the Cubs are hoping is just a minor issue.

“Right now,” Counsell said, “we think it’s just a little time down, and he should be OK.”

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer noted last week that Wiggins was dealing with arm soreness and was going to have his next start pushed back. With the discomfort persisting for the prospect, Chicago did not want to take any chances.

“With everyone, early in the year, you need to be conservative,” Hoyer said on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park prior to the Cubs' game against the Phillies. “With a lot of these guys, there’s zero benefit of pushing guys early in the season. We have, hopefully, six-plus months to play.”

Wiggins last pitched on April 4 for Triple-A Iowa, and he had made only two starts this season prior to the move to the IL. He posted a 5.63 ERA in his eight innings, striking out 10 and walking five. Wiggins opened the year as the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect, but he was recently bumped to No. 1 when Moisés Ballesteros graduated from the rankings.

The Cubs selected Wiggins out of the University of Arkansas in the second round of the 2023 Draft while the pitcher was making his way back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Since getting the hard-throwing Wiggins into their system, the Cubs have taken a steady, conservative approach to his workload. The righty enjoyed a breakout showing in 2025, logging a 2.19 ERA with 97 strikeouts against 36 walks in 78 innings over his 19 appearances between High-A South Bend, Double-A Knoxville and Triple-A.

Wiggins entered this season very much on the Major League radar, and the recent setbacks to the rotation have increased the importance of depth behind the main group.

Cade Horton is set to undergo elbow surgery on Thursday and is done for the year. Matthew Boyd is expected back next week, but is currently on the 15-day IL with a left biceps issue. Colin Rea moved out of the bullpen and Javier Assad came up from Triple-A to help the bullpen. Another starting option, Ben Brown, is in the relief corps right now. Lefty Jordan Wicks is also on the 15-day IL (left forearm), though he's closing in on a rehab assignment with Iowa. Justin Steele (60-day IL, left elbow) will not be an option until late May or June.

Hoyer emphasized the need to be careful with these early season injuries, keeping the big picture in mind.

“Let’s make sure these guys can get healthy,” Hoyer said. “Because if they’re playing catch-up in April, it’s going to get bad in May, June. There’s no way to push through things in April and get right. So, sometimes, early in the year, you have to realize that and play the long game.

“With Wiggins, obviously he hasn’t gotten back to a place of doing his throwing program. Once he’s asymptomatic, we’ll do that. But we’re not going to push him in the meantime.”