Cade Horton 'An Option' to Replace Shota Imanaga in Cubs Rotation

It could be the Chicago Cubs star pitching prospect who gets called up after Shota Imanaga was placed on the injured list.

Mar 21, 2025; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton throws against the San Diego Padres in the first inning at Sloan Park | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

For a couple of years now, Chicago Cubs fans have wondered when Cade Horton will get the call to The Show.

It could have come last season if the star right-hander hadn't gotten hurt, but after the injury ended his year early, the Cubs became more focused on making sure he was 100% healthy when he returned to the mound in 2025.

However, things have changed.

Not only is Justin Steele out for the season after undergoing surgery on his UCL, but Chicago's other ace, Shota Imanaga, has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained hamstring.

Now, the Cubs are considering calling Horton up to the Majors as a replacement.

"Obviously, Cade's an option," Jed Hoyer said, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. "He's one of several options and we'll talk through the right way to go forward."

The insider also noted that manager Craig Counsell stated it could be the star prospect who gets promoted ahead of Saturday's game against the New York Mets since that slot is currently open.

Horton has done his part to instill confidence in that potential decision.

This year, the right-hander has posted a 1.24 ERA across six starts, striking out 33 batters in 29 innings pitched while holding hitters to a .129 batting average.

Coming off a season-ending injury, and at just 23 years old, that is a remarkable showing at the Triple-A level to begin this campaign.

Chicago still believes he has things to work on in the minors, but at this point in time, there aren't many other options they can turn to who can deliver the high-end results that Horton is capable of producing.

What comes of this will be interesting to see.

The Cubs have rapidly promoted some of their top prospects in the past, and it seems like Horton could be the next one on the list after Imanaga was placed on the shelf.