Cubs Turn to Seasoned Triple-A Pitcher Amidst Slew of Injuries

Luke Little was called up to the majors yet again as Riley Martin prepares for his debut start Tuesday night.

Chicago Cubs Hat | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The Cubs pitchers are struggling.

Monday night, the team gave up 15 hits as they fell to the Phillies, 13-7.

Seven of Chicago’s 20 pitchers — 35% — are currently on the injured list. This includes starters Matthew Boyd (15-day IL, left biceps strain), Cade Horton (15-day IL, damaged right elbow UCL) and Justin Steele (60-day IL, left elbow). 

Horton is listed on the 15-day IL; however, he’s out for the season.

Cade Horton | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Bullpen pitchers Phil Maton (15-day IL, right knee tendinitis), Hunter Harvey (15-day IL, right triceps inflammation), Porter Hodge (15-day IL, right flexor strain) and Jordan Wicks (15-day IL, left forearm radial nerve irritation) are also currently out of commission. 

Righthander Shelby Miller was not included among the seven because his injury (torn right UCL) occurred last October. Miller will return in 2027.

The team needs help, and fast.  Luckily, the Iowa Cubs seem to be the answer. 

Triple-A call-ups

Left-hander Luke Little received another major league call-up on Tuesday. Little has spent several stints with the Cubs since his debut in 2023. 

The Cubs are calling up @IowaCubs LHP Luke Little from Triple-A. Little has pitched parts of the previous three seasons in Chicago.

— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) April 14, 2026

Across 39 career major league games and 35.1 innings pitches, Little has maintained a 2.80 ERA and a win-loss percentage of .750. 

The lefthander was originally selected by the Cubs in the 4th round of the 2020 MLB June Amateur Draft. He’s worked his way up through Chicago’s minor league system since, and started on the lowest rung of the ladder. 

Little’s career began on the AZL Cubs Blue roster, where he spent two seasons before being promoted to Single-A Myrtle Beach in 2022. At the end of the 2022 season, he was elevated to South Bend (Single-A Advanced) and by May 2023, Little was on the Double-A Knoxville roster. 

Sep 12, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Luke Little (43) delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Little was transferred to the Development List at the end of June and assigned to Triple-A Iowa in August. One month later, he made his MLB debut.

Riley Martin will make his MLB debut Tuesday evening, starting against the Phillies at 6:40 p.m. ET.

Return timelines

Boyd is expected to return next week during the Cubs’ homestand against the Phillies, and is likely to start April 21, Taylor McGregor shared during Monday night’s broadcast. 

Mar 26, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) waits to throw against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Wrigley Field. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Wicks and Hodge are slated to return “April/May,” while Steele’s return could happen mid-2026. Return timelines for Harvey and Maton are TBD. 

Manager Craig Counsell shared a fairly vague update on Maton’s recovery Monday ahead of the team’s 13-7 loss to Philadelphia. He told the media it would be “tight” for Maton to be ready on his first eligible day (April 22), but is hopeful the pitcher will return fairly close to that date. 

Mar 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Phil Maton (88) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Counsell said the best-case scenario would be Maton throwing bullpen early next week, but the right-hander is taking things slow to avoid putting too much stress on his knee.