Cubs could get a much-needed rotation boost with Shota Imanaga’s expected return

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CHICAGO — The Cubs are on the verge of getting a much-needed reinforcement to their rotation. Lefty Shota Imanaga made his third rehab start on Friday night with the Iowa Cubs and is expected to join the big-league club at some point next week during their four-game series in St. Louis against the Cardinals.

“Everything went great,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Did what we hoped he would do. He’s in a position to be ready, so he’s going to join us in St. Louis, and we’ll figure out the next steps.

“He’s gonna make his next start in the big leagues.”

The Cubs have generally preferred to keep Imanaga on five days’ rest, so starting the finale in St. Louis on Thursday could make sense. After two outings in the Complex League, Imanaga tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings at Triple A Friday evening, striking out eight and walking two while giving up just two hits. He didn’t allow a run during his rehab stint and generally has looked strong.

As to who Imanaga replaces in the rotation, Counsell wasn’t tipping his hand.

“We can have great ideas about what we’re going to do, but it’s not today, so they can all change,” Counsell said. “It’s our job to think in advance, but also things happen. That’s why you make the decision when you have to.”

After Imanaga went on the shelf with a left hamstring strain on May 5, rookie Cade Horton was called up to take his spot in the rotation. It would be a surprise to see him sent down upon Imanaga’s return. The youngster looks like he’s getting better with each outing.

In Saturday’s 10-7 win against the Seattle Mariners, Horton lasted only 4 2/3 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits. But only three of those runs were earned, and three of the hits were pop flies missed due to treacherous winds at Wrigley. Considering the 20-plus mph wind along with a humid, 94-degree day at first pitch, Horton deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Mariners in the ballpark and limiting any hard contact.

“I don’t think anybody’s pitching line is relevant today,” Counsell said, comparing Wrigley Field to Coors Field on this day.

The heat took the home-plate umpire out of the game along with Mariners reliever Trent Thornton, who battled for 2 1/3 innings before getting wobbly on the field and succumbing to exhaustion. Horton, who was born in Oklahoma City and played his high school and college ball in the state, has experienced extreme temperatures and managed to stay within himself as best he could.

Ian Happ, who slugged a pair of home runs on the day, admitted he could have come up with one of those three missed popups. He gave Horton a lot of credit for battling through despite mistakes around him and the tough conditions.

“He did a great job,” Happ said. “It’s really easy to get frustrated in that situation when you’re making the pitches and not getting the result. From a defensive standpoint, we wish we could’ve made those plays for him and keep him in the game a little longer. But he did a great job of making his pitches and staying focused. He’s been a pro through and through since he’s been here.”

Ian Happ celebrates after hitting a first-inning homer against the Mariners on Saturday. He had two home runs in the Cubs’ win. (Matt Marton / Imagn Images)

Horton’s defense let him down, but the Cubs ultimately came away with the victory. The offense took advantage of the strong hitting conditions as they slugged five home runs on the day. Including Happ’s two, Kyle Tucker went back-to-back with Happ to start the Cubs first, Michael Busch hit a three-run shot and Pete Crow-Armstrong drove in his 21st of the season. All in all, it feels like Horton’s job in the rotation is safe.

In Friday’s loss to the Mariners, Matthew Boyd exited after five innings despite a low pitch count. His day ended after he caught a 104.7 mph liner hit right back at him. Despite making the snag, Boyd, a lefty, got a bad bruise on his left shoulder due to the impact of the ball.

Counsell called it a “swelling issue” and said they wouldn’t know for sure what the next steps would be for Boyd for a couple of days.

“It’s going to go away as the days go on, it’s going to get better,” Counsell said. “We just want to make sure as it gets close to the start, that it’s (not) impacting him.”

Could his next start be skipped?

“I don’t know,” Counsell said. “I think we’ll give ourselves a couple more days before we think about that. Right now, he’s on schedule to pitch. If we get closer to that and he’s unable to have a normal four days in between starts, then we’ll reevaluate.”

If Boyd’s next start is skipped, the Cubs could easily send Nate Pearson down for Imanaga and have Boyd miss a single start. Pearson was called up on Saturday, and Génesis Cabrera, who had an 8.68 ERA in 9 1/3 innings with the team, was designated for assignment. If Boyd is healthy, they could still send Pearson down and move Colin Rea to the bullpen.

Shota Imanaga during Friday’s rehab start 👏

4.1 IP | 8 K | 0 ER | 72 pitches pic.twitter.com/5aGiFPaT2Z

— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 21, 2025

The Cubs could also send down Ben Brown, who has a 5.57 ERA this season. Brown has shown flashes of brilliance while also having the type of rough starts that cost the team the game and put a strain on the bullpen. Brown has tremendous upside and a developing changeup that could be the missing ingredient to his repertoire. Moving him to the bullpen could make sense at some point this season, but the Cubs also need to keep him stretched out to preserve their starting pitching depth.

Counsell also addressed the likelihood of going to a six-man rotation.

“Those are all part of the possibilities you think about,” he said. “Everything is kind of on the table. You play out a bunch of scenarios and let the days play out till we have to make a decision.”

Whatever the decision is with the rotation, Imanaga’s return is a huge deal for this team. The lefty had a brilliant rookie campaign last summer, putting up a 2.91 ERA in 173 1/3 innings. This season, he was looking to match that as he delivered a 2.82 ERA before exiting with the hamstring injury 5 2/3 innings into his eighth start of the season.

The Cubs’ bullpen has come around after a rocky first few weeks of the season, currently seventh in baseball with a 3.37 ERA. The offense is potent and the defense, outside of Saturday, has been stout. The prime area for upgrade is the rotation. Team president Jed Hoyer will still look to fortify the unit at the deadline, but Imanaga’s coming back is a much-needed boost as the Cubs look to carry the momentum they currently have and push into the postseason for the first time in five years.

(Top photo: John Fisher / Getty Images)

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