Cubs Reliever Set to Miss at Least 1 Year After Completed Surgery

The Chicago Cubs are going to be down a reliever for a very long time.

Craig Counsell | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have been ravaged by pitching injuries this season both to the bullpen and the starting rotation, losing numerous guys for undisclosed periods and others for at least the rest of the season.

One of those names who was already announced as being out for the whole year was a once-promising reliever who has had his career derailed since the middle of 2025, in young right-hander Porter Hodge.

Media received an update on Hodge from manager Craig Counsell now that the elbow surgery is completed, and it does not sound like he is going to be back on the field anytime soon. According to an update from Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, one year seems like the optimistic outlook, and it could be longer.

Hodge Out for At Least One Full Year for Cubs

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Porter Hodge | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

"Cubs reliever Porter Hodge underwent major surgery on his right elbow, manager Craig Counsell said," Mooney relayed on X. "The recovery timeline for this procedure – a UCL reconstruction with an internal brace – is expected to be 12 to 14 months."

Given the expected ramp-up and the fact that Hodge has dealt with a laundry list of other injuries over the last year, 14 months seems more likely, and in reality, it could wind up being a whole lot longer than that.

Hodge was already trending in a negative direction before the announcement of this latest injury that has kept him off the mound for all of 2026, and the reality of the situation is that fans may have already seen the last of the 25-year-old in a Chicago uniform.

Hodge Was Once Promising Closer Option for Cubs

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya and pitcher Porter Hodge | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Back in 2024 as a rookie, Hodge had a 1.88 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with nine saves and 52 strikeouts over 43 innings across 39 appearances to establish himself as a key young piece of the bullpen in the years moving forward.

He started off 2025 similarly, but unfortunately, as with many other cases, injuries got the better of him, and he wound up missing a bunch of time and struggling when he was on the field. After a full offseason, though, the hope was that Hodge was healthy and ready to get back to form, but his year instead ended before it began.

Hodge making a comeback at this point feels unlikely, at least in Chicago, and though fans will wonder what could have been, it does feel like his time in the sun for the Cubs may be done.