Chicago Cubs Reveal Updated Plan for Injured Star Ahead of Season Opener

The Chicago Cubs provided an update on their star's status for their season opener.

Sep 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner (2) turns a double play against the Philadelphia Phillies. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

After several weeks of spring training games, the Chicago Cubs are almost ready to play meaningful baseball again.

The Cubs are only one week away from kicking off their 2025 regular season with a two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japan.

Chicago has one more spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday before heading west across the Pacific.

Unfortunately for the Cubs, Nico Hoerner won't be joining them for their international series against the defending World Series champs.

That was already revealed early in the offseason with him not quite yet recovered from the surgical procedure he underwent this winter, but now there is further detail about how Chicago plans to get their star second baseman ready for the rest of the upcoming campaign.

According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Hoerner will begin playing in minor league games this week in Arizona while his teammates are overseas. The goal is for him to be ready for their series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the end of March.

The Cubs plan on having Nico Hoerner begin playing in Minor League games this week in Arizona while the Cubs are in Japan as the goal remains to have him ready for domestic Opening Day series, per @MLBastian. pic.twitter.com/4FMEHT3QKo

— Cubs Zone (@CubsZone) March 10, 2025

The 27-year-old infielder underwent flexor tendon surgery in October and has spent the last few months recovering. He hasn't played any spring training or minor league games yet, but he did play second base against the Asian Breeze (an exhibition travel team) on Monday.

While Hoerner won't be available for next week's games in Japan, he's on track to be ready for Opening Day in late March, barring any setbacks.

For now, the Cubs are trying to get him as many reps as possible over the next few weeks in preparation for Opening Day.

Hoerner, who won a Gold Glove in 2023, is one of Chicago's best players.

Over the last three seasons, he's batted .279/.337/.387 with 94 steals and 13 WAR while playing second base and shortstop.

Given his importance to the Cubs, they don't want to rush him back into action before he's ready and have him get off to a slow start. It's a long season, so he can afford to miss a couple of games early on if it's better for his health and productivity in the long run.