Chicago Cubs top pitching prospect pulled for arm issues, per insider

The Chicago Cubs are going through a patch of “when it rains, it pours” bad news at the moment.

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This past week, emerging 24-year-old ace Cade Horton was put on the shelf with an elbow injury that will require season-ending surgery. Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd was placed on the 15-day IL with a left biceps strain. On Friday, reliever Phil Maton was also placed on the IL, suffering from right knee tendonitis.

That’s a crazy stretch of misfortune for the Cubs, especially considering that it’s all happened in a span of about six days.

But, wait, there’s more!

Chicago’s top pitching prospect may join that list of damaged pitchers.

Jaxon Wiggins decision revealed to be arm-related

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On Friday, it was revealed by MLB insider Bruce Levine via Twitter/X that 24-year-old Jaxon Wiggins is suffering through his own arm issue.

Per Levine:

“Cubs Jaxson Wiggins is dealing with a sore arm. Jed Hoyer confirmed he is being backed up for now.”

The “sore arm” problem now provides some explanation for the announcement on Thursday that Wiggins was being pulled from his scheduled start on Friday.

Per Tommy Birch, sports reporter for the Des Moines Register:

“Cubs top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins, who was originally slated to start Friday for the
@IowaCubs, is no longer listed in the team’s pitching probables.

Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler to the Des Moines Register: ‘We are being strategic with how we deploy our pitching.’”

And that strategic deployment, apparently, is centered around not throwing Wiggins out there to pitch when his arm is going through some issues.

Cubs playing it safe with Wiggins

The 6-foot-6 fireballer made the climb from Double-A to Triple-A last season, amid plenty of concern regarding his recovery from a 2023 Tommy John surgery and just general fatigue. The Cubs organization has made a concerted effort to limit his innings pitched and keep an eye on the wear and tear on his arm.

He excelled under those watchful eyes in 2025, posting a 2.19 ERA in 78 total innings across three levels, registering a combined 97 strikeouts along the way.

But headlines were made last season when Wiggins was rested for a spell of about a month at Double-A, mid-season, as he dealt with arm soreness and an inability to recover between starts. Questions persisted regarding his long-term durability as a starter.

Those questions will sound significantly louder right now as the Cubs stare down a hobbling of a starting rotation that they once considered to be overflowing with depth.

Most analysts and informed observers weren’t counting on Wiggins to play any real role on this 2026 team, but there was always the remote possibility that he could come up and unexpectedly contribute this season as Cade Horton did in 2025. That likelihood is becoming increasingly slim as doubts arise regarding the health of the young arm.

There’s no doubt that the Cubs organization is doing the right thing by holding Wiggins back right now. There’s no reason to hurt his future, especially when his present may not directly impact the major league club anyway. The kid has a huge upside and is being considered by many as the last chance at a high-end homegrown Cubs starter for awhile.

It’s just kind of tough to cross off one more starting pitching option for a rotation already under immense strain.

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