Imanaga is injured The Chicago Cubs plan to call up top pitcher rookie Horton

Cade Horton's recent performances with the triple-A Iowa Cubs need not be proven. With the need for a major league pitcher lineup, the Cubs plan to make the rookie No. 1 pitcher make his major league debut.

Horton (No. 2 rookie from MLB Pipeline Cubs Farm and No. 46 in the Top 100 Rookies) will make his major league debut in a series away from home against the Mets this weekend, according to MLB.com sources revealed Thursday. The team has yet to officially confirm the news, with the plan being first revealed by the Des Moines Chronicle.

"He's improving with every start," Jed Hoyer, the Cubs' president of baseball operations, said this week, "and the consistency of the triple-A level has been evident, especially in the last two games." The six-inning pitch efficiency is outstanding, and it is fully eligible for escalation. "

The 23-year-old Horton has become the go-to option to fill the void left by Shota Imanaga's injury. The left-hand thrower was on the 15-day injury list on Monday with a left hamstring strain and is expected to be out for several weeks.

As is currently scheduled, veteran Jameson Taylon will start his debut at the Mets on Friday. The Jeffrey Round, originally scheduled for Saturday, has yet to be confirmed, and the Cubs coaching staff are still weighing scheduling options — either using Horton outright or using a "false starter" strategy.

"We have a number of options for Saturday," coach Craig Counsell said on Monday, "and Thursday's break will keep the barn full of capacity and be flexible depending on the situation." "

Houghton's most recent appearance was as a starter for triple-A Iowa on Sunday, throwing a career-high six innings in two consecutive games, finishing with 78 and 77 pitches respectively. In the 29 innings of the season, he had a 1.24 ERA score, 33 strikeouts and 13 deliveries, and only 12 hits (including 2 hits) were hit, and the opponent hit 0.129/0.241/0.204 in the third round. The average speed of the speedball is 95-96mph, and the top speed is 98mph.

As the No. 7 pick in the first round in 2022, Horton has accumulated 151.2 innings in 36 starts since 2023, with a 2.79 ERA and 190 strikeouts. Last year, due to a right shoulder injury, he only started 9 games in 2A and 3A combined.

Due to his injury history, the Cubs are closely monitoring his pitching and training stats, but there are no strict innings limits. "Preset numbers don't make sense," Hoyle stressed, "and the key is to adjust in time through key metric changes, which is true for all pitchers." "