Cubs pitcher Cade Horton expected to miss up to 16 months after elbow surgery

The news for Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton wasn’t likely to be good after he left his second start of the season with elbow discomfort. Four days later, the team announced that Horton would need season-ending elbow surgery.

Horton, 24, underwent that procedure on Thursday. But the work performed on his right elbow will require a recovery timetable of 15 to 16 months, Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Friday.

The right-hander received a “revision repair” of the ulnar collateral ligament, a repair of the flexor muscle and an internal brace procedure. The surgery was performed by renowned orthopedist Dr. Keith Meister, who is also the head team physician for the Texas Rangers.

“When something like this happens, the only thing you can do is kind of worry about what’s next,” Counsell told reporters. “If you put your head on some big timeframe, that’s not very helpful. With Cade, we talked about just worrying about today and make today the best you can, and just keep doing that.”

This is the second major surgery Horton has undergone on his pitching elbow. He had Tommy John surgery during his freshman season at Oklahoma and returned to make 14 appearances for the Sooners in 2022. The Cubs drafted him in the first round (No. 7 overall) that year.

As a rookie, Horton compiled a 2.67 ERA and 11-4 record in 23 appearances (22 starts) last season, striking out 97 batters in 118 innings. He was particularly impressive in the second half of the season, registering a 1.03 ERA in 12 starts. With that performance, Horton finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

This is the second consecutive season in which the Cubs suffered a season-ending injury to one of their starting pitchers.