Hodge out for season as Cubs' pitching depth takes another hit

PHILADELPHIA -- The Cubs’ pitching staff -- both in the rotation and the bullpen -- has been hit with a steady stream of injuries in the first few weeks of this season. And now, another potential depth option for the embattled relief corps has been lost until next year.

On Wednesday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced that reliever Porter Hodge recently encountered a setback in his comeback from a right flexor strain. After meeting with Dr. Keith Meister, the pitcher is now scheduled for season-ending surgery on Monday to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

“He’s got a long road ahead of him,” Counsell said.

Hodge began the season on the 15-day injured list due to the forearm/elbow issue, but he had worked back to playing catch earlier this month. While the righty was not an immediate solution to Chicago’s bullpen depth troubles at the moment, his return appeared to be on the horizon -- and could have given the Cubs a much-needed right-hander.

The Cubs’ big league bullpen currently features five lefties out of necessity. Veteran righties Phil Maton (right knee) and Hunter Harvey (right triceps) are both on the 15-day IL. Righty Ethan Roberts (lacerated right middle finger) joined them on Tuesday after a freak accident during a workout at Citizens Bank Park.

At Triple-A Iowa, right-handers Corbin Martin and Collin Snider -- neither on the 40-man roster -- were recently dealing with minor injury issues. Righty Gavin Hollowell (on the 40-man roster) is on the Minor League IL due to a right elbow injury. Righty Trent Thorton, while making progress in his comeback from a left Achilles injury, has not yet started pitching in games with Iowa.

The news on Hodge was just the latest in a series of blows.

“Immediately, you feel sorry for the player,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said on Wednesday. “But then you just process, ‘OK, who’s up next?’ You kind of have to move on quickly, mentally. It kind of sounds cold-hearted, but that’s the nature of the job. We’ve had a lot of injuries early on. Seasons go on, the games go on. You have to find replacements.

“Sometimes, I look at it as an opportunity. Maybe a guy steps up that you didn’t expect, and then when everybody gets healthy, all of a sudden you have another reliever you weren’t counting on.”

Hodge dealt with injuries and command woes in 2025, posting a 6.27 ERA in 36 games for the Cubs, but he was positioned as a promising comeback candidate this year. As a rookie in ‘24, the big righty spun a 1.88 ERA in 39 appearances and emerged as a late-inning arm in Counsell’s bullpen.

“He’s super talented,” Hoyer said. “He’s physical and has a great fastball and a great slider when he’s right. He hasn’t quite been right, really, since kind of last May. Maybe this has been part of it. Some guys come back even better from this. Unfortunately, we won’t have him for a while, but hopefully, he bounces back strong.”

The rotation is also dealing with the season-ending loss of righty Cade Horton, who is due for UCL repair surgery with Dr. Meister on Thursday. The specifics of the respective surgeries for Horton and Hodge will become clear after the procedures. From there, the Cubs will have a better sense of the expected rehab timetables.

Lefty Matthew Boyd is also on the 15-day IL, but he's scheduled to start for Triple-A Iowa on Thursday with the goal of being activated during next week's home series against the Phillies (as early as next Wednesday, per Counsell). Counsell noted that lefty Jordan Wicks (15-day IL, left forearm) is also slated to begin his Minor League rehab assignment with Iowa on Saturday.

For both the rotation and bullpen, Hoyer is also exploring external options. Acquiring relief help at this point in the calendar can be challenging, but waivers and out clauses can present some options. The Cubs have been linked to starter Lucas Giolito on the rotation front, but Hoyer has stressed the importance of players emerging internally.

“I just really hope the pace slows,” Hoyer said of the injuries. “The schedule’s not going to stop. We’ve got to find ways to come up with new guys and come up with real options, and hopefully, some of those guys can step up.”