Cubs' Cade Horton Ruled Out for Wild Card

The Chicago Cubs placed rookie right-hander Cade Horton on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Sept. 25 with a right rib fracture, ruling him out of the upcoming NL Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres. An MRI after Horton exited his Sept. 23 start showed “areas of concern” in the rib area; the team says a recent illness and coughing contributed and Horton did not respond well to a subsequent throwing session. Horton was 11–4 with a 2.67 ERA in 22 starts and was a leading NL Rookie of the Year candidate. He will not be eligible to return until at least Oct. 10 (making him available only for a potential Game 5 of the NLDS), and Baseball Prospectus recovery data suggests rib fractures often carry lengthy absences. The Cubs recalled left-hander Jordan Wicks in a corresponding move and are expected to lean on veterans such as Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon or Colin Rea to fill Horton’s rotation spot while the club reviews imaging and consults physicians.