Chicago Cubs sound notes of starting pitching positivity after stretch of bad luck

The Chicago Cubs have been reeling lately, especially when it comes to their starting pitching.

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Coming into this 2026 season, it was thought that rotation depth could be the team’s saving grace. Their Opening Day roster boasted Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, and Jameson Taillon, with Colin Rea and Ben Brown serving as solid swingmen and Javier Assad being stretched out as an emergency starter in Iowa. Ace Justin Steele was also expected to make his return from elbow surgery at some point before mid-season.

It took just a couple of days to trash that narrative and send fans into an early panic.

Horton will have to undergo season-ending elbow surgery. Boyd was put on the 15-day IL with a biceps strain, but his timetable for return may be in doubt. Brown has been touched up in two of his three appearances. Taillon has looked “mid” so far this year.

So, yeah, there’s reason for negativity. However, there’s also some cause for positivity as, despite recent issues, the rotation has still posted a collective 2.80 ERA so far this year—third best in the majors.

Javier Assad made for a feel-good day

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Assad’s performance against the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday at Tropicana Field, in his first outing since being recalled from Triple-A, was one of those pieces of positivity.

The 28-year-old threw 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks in a 9-2 Cubs win. It was a much-needed performance after potentially devastating pitching-related doom and gloom news the last few days.

“Javy did an outstanding job just attacking the strike zone. I thought that was the big thing; the first three innings I think he had 32 pitches,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters after the game. “Javy has done that many times, stepped up when the team has needed. We certainly need it right now, and he delivered.”

Assad would leave the game in the sixth inning to a thunderous ovation from the multitude of Cubs fans in attendance.

“It’s really neat; I was not expecting that,” Assad said. “There were a lot of fans out there, but it’s a really good feeling, even if we’re not at home, to have the crowd here.”

Cabrera and Imanaga with the positive vibes

Emerging powerhouse righty Cabrera, meanwhile, has delivered nothing but positivity all season in his first year with Chicago. The 27-year-old, who came to the Cubs this past offseason in a trade for Cubs top prospect Owen Caissie and two other prospects, has been dominant in his first two starts of the year. In 11.2 innings so far, he’s only allowed 2 hits and has yet to give up a run.

Then there’s Imanaga, who got touched up a bit in his first start of the year, but looked like his old, 2024 self in his most recent start. The Japanese star is also boasting one of the biggest increases in velocity among MLB pitchers this year with a 1.4 mph boost to his four-seam velocity. His improved arm strength is also making for greater movement on his other pitches.

On deck is Steele, the Cubs’ most efficient and effective starter over the last several seasons. His rehabilitation is going along smoothly and he could be ready to go as soon as late May.

Also, don’t count out the Cubs’ front office when it comes to pulling off a big trade for pitching help. Given the money they spent this offseason, they clearly see this team as a special one and will go further than usual in trying to secure a deep playoff run.

No team likes to suffer through the loss of their top two rotation pieces, but the Cubs do still have the horses to win the pennant race and ride into the postseason, provided other setbacks don’t begin to pile up as well.

The post Chicago Cubs sound notes of starting pitching positivity after stretch of bad luck appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-starting-pitching-positive-news-assad-cabrera-imanaga/