Severe Setback for Rehabbing Cubs Pitcher

You were hoping for a better outcome, but things didn't look great earlier this week when rehabbing Cubs pitcher Javier Assad exited early from his start at Triple-A. The right-handed starter suffered a severe setback that was confirmed on Friday.

Assad was out for spring training because of an oblique strain and he unfortunately aggravated the injury on Tuesday. The pitcher returned to Chicago to be further evaluated and it turns out that Assad now has a grade 2 oblique strain.

Counsell said Javier Assad sustained a Grade 2 strain of his left oblique (reinjuring same side that flared in the spring). Shut down and essentially have to start rehab/throwing program from scratch again.

— Jordan Bastian (@bastianmlb.bsky.social) April 25, 2025 at 11:22 AM

So, it's back to square one for Assad, who appeared to be on the cusp of returning to the active roster if he had remained healthy following his last start.

Assad made 29 starts and tossed 147 innings, ending 2024 with a 3.74 ERA. That included an excellent stretch in his first 15 starts of the year, posting a 2.75 ERA through June 17. The righty has been a dependable pitcher since making his MLB debut with the Cubs in the summer of 2022. In 70 career games Assad has a 3.40 ERA, which also includes good work out of the bullpen, recording a 3.18 ERA in 23 relief outings.

This injury setback for Assad will certainly have a ripple effect to the Cubs pitching staff in 2025. At this point there's no timeline set for his return and even the most optimistic estimates still has Assad sidelined until July.

The Cubs won't have Justin Steele back this season, which already put more pressure on Ben Brown and Colin Rea at the end of the starting rotation. The hope was that Assad would come back soon and fill in to strengthen the overall depth, but now he's no longer an option.

It definitely makes you wonder when the Cubs turn to top pitching prospect Cade Horton. He's been awesome at Triple-A, but the organization is slowly ramping up Horton after he missed the majority of last year with a shoulder injury. It doesn't seem like the Cubs are in a rush to call up Horton, so he may not be an option until June at the earliest.

This seems obvious, but the Cubs will have to make a trade to bring in an impact pitcher. It's only April, but you know the front office is scouring throughout the league to find viable additions to the rotation. That being said, you rarely see big-time trades so early in the regular season.

Will the Cubs remaining depth be able to hold up until someone else is brought in? That's the big question and only time will tell.