Cubs Top Pitching Prospect Jaxon Wiggins Returns Following Multi-Month Absence

Chicago Cubs top pitching prospect is finally back. 

The Cubs’ No. 3 overall prospect Jaxon Wiggins made another Minor League start on Sunday following a multi-month absence. Wiggins landed on the Minor League injured list all the way back on April 15 due to right elbow inflammation. 

The Cubs were extremely cautious with their top pitching prospect over the last few weeks and were only going to have him pitch again once he was deemed fully healthy. That appears to be the case now, as Wiggins was sent on a rehab assignment to High-A over the weekend. 

The 24-year-old right-hander looked solid in his second Minor League rehab start. He threw 2 ⅔ innings of one-run ball with one hit, two walks, and three strikeouts against the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps on Sunday afternoon. 

The only hit that Wiggins allowed in that contest was a home run in the bottom of the second inning. He threw a nice changeup at the bottom of the zone that Padres prospect Alex McCoy got a hold of for a solo home run. 

It was a nice second outing back for Wiggins, who threw 49 pitches (27 strikes) in that game. He also threw two scoreless innings with three hits allowed, one walk, and two strikeouts with the ACL Cubs at the rookie ball level on June 15. 

Having Wiggins healthy again is obviously great news for the Cubs. He was down for more than two months as he worked his way back from right elbow inflammation. MLB Pipeline’s No. 84 prospect can now continue to develop on the mound. 

It’s unclear whether Wiggins is a possibility to be called up later this year. He was a potential summer call-up, but his recent elbow injury has definitely pushed back his arrival to the big leagues. 

Wiggins has only started five games at Triple-A in his professional career. He has allowed 10 earned runs in those 17 ⅔ innings pitched (5.09 ERA) and allowed four runs across five innings in his last start for the Iowa Cubs on April 4. 

Injuries have prevented Wiggins from pitching more at the Triple-A level in his three Minor League seasons. He dealt with elbow inflammation for most of this year, and dealt with some shoulder soreness/fatigue in the middle of last season. 

However, it’s an encouraging sign that Wiggins is back and healthy. He is expected to report back to Triple-A Iowa following this rehab start with the South Bend Cubs, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.  

How he performs over the next few months will determine whether he has a realistic shot at being a September call-up.