Chicago, IL (AP) – The Chicago Cubs expect right-hander Cade Horton to miss 15 to 16 months following season-ending surgery on his pitching elbow, manager Craig Counsell said on Friday.
They will also have to get by without reliever Daniel Palencia for the next few weeks after placing him on the 15-day injured list because of a strained left oblique.
The 24-year-old Horton underwent an ulnar collateral ligament revision on Thursday, his second reconstructive surgery on the elbow. He had Tommy John surgery as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2021.
“Cade talked about just kind of worrying about today and make today the best you can and just keep doing that, and that’s how you somehow speed this process along a little bit,” Counsell said. “But if you get too far ahead of yourself, it’s certainly a long recovery and that doesn’t help.”
Horton walked off the mound in Cleveland on April 3 after just 17 pitches. His velocity had dropped from 96 mph in the first inning to 93.8 mph on his final pitch before he waved toward the dugout. He beat Washington a week earlier in his season debut, holding the Nationals to two runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Horton finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last year. He was 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 118 innings last season.
Palencia is 1-0 with a save and has not allowed a run in five appearances. He had 22 saves last season.
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