Cade Horton exited his start with forearm discomfort, sparking Tommy John surgery fears. But recent pitching history and his own optimism offer hope for a less severe outcome.
The Chicago Cubs are hoping for the best when it comes to Cade Horton’s injury.
Horton left his start early on Friday with right forearm discomfort. He threw a strike at the bottom of the zone before looking over to the dugout in the second inning. The right-hander then immediately left the game and headed straight for the clubhouse.
Any time a pitcher has any sort of forearm or elbow discomfort, fans' minds always go to Tommy John surgery. However, there have been plenty of pitchers who have experienced forearm discomfort and not needed Tommy John surgery.
Seattle Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert experienced forearm tightness during a start last season and was diagnosed with a Grade 1 flexor strain. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez didn’t miss time after leaving a start last year due to a forearm issue.
Horton also sounded pretty optimistic in his postgame interview with reporters in Cleveland.
“I'm pretty hopeful,” Horton told reporters about his injury. “I wanted to be smart about it. I’ve been in this spot before, and I’ve taken the other route, where I keep going, and then it ends up being worse. So, just try to make a mature decision and end it there.”
It’s always hard to trust players' words about certain injuries. But Horton has experienced arm discomfort in the past, which led to Tommy John surgery back during his 2021 college season with Oklahoma.
While every arm injury is different, Horton might not feel that same discomfort that led to his first Tommy John surgery more than five years ago. It is also encouraging that the issue started at his wrist rather than around his elbow.
“I had some tightness in my wrist, and then as the game went on, it started to move into my forearm,” Horton told reporters. “So, I wanted to err on the caution side and really not try to hurt anything else.”
Despite Horton’s optimism, the Cubs are in a wait-and-see mode on his latest injury. He is expected to remain with the team for one more day before going to Chicago to get his arm checked out.
What we do know is that Horton will be placed on the 15-day injured list for the time being. He will miss at least the next 15 days and will be replaced on the 26-man roster by another pitcher. Since Javier Assad just pitched down in Triple-A on Thursday, the Cubs could call up a fresh arm for their bullpen.
Since Horton won’t see the team doctors until Monday, Cubs fans have a few anxious days ahead. Still, Horton’s positive attitude gives fans something to hold onto in the meantime.