WATCH: Jed Hoyer looking at several options in replacing Imanaga following injury |
Tony Crumpton
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- Monday, May 05 2025
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer spoke to the media ahead of first pitch from Wrigley Field on Monday night discussing potential contingency plans for Shota Imanaga's injury, the depth of the rotation and bullpen and much more.
Watch the pregame video below:
Video summary/cliff-notes:
(00:00–00:22) Jed Hoyer acknowledges the setback of losing Shota Imanaga to injury but emphasizes that injuries are part of the game and the team must move forward.
(00:38–01:19) Hoyer stresses the importance of pitching depth, citing players like Colin Rea stepping up, and says Cade Horton is among the options being considered, pending further medical evaluations.
(01:42–02:56) Horton has shown consistent improvement in Triple-A; Cubs are considering timing and matchups for a potential call-up, especially with upcoming off days, balancing rest for current starters.
(03:17–03:54) Key development focus for Horton includes improving pitch consistency and avoiding non-competitive pitches that lead to unfavorable counts.
(04:11–04:51) Hoyer praises Colin Rea and Matthew Boyd for stepping up and mentions the importance of continuing forward without pausing to dwell on adversity.
(05:12–06:12) Regarding Imanaga’s hamstring injury, Hoyer says there's no clear return timeline yet and stresses prioritizing long-term health over rushing back.
(06:34–07:38) Hoyer notes Cade Horton’s development is progressing, especially after limited innings last year, and reiterates the need to monitor both internal and external options due to the grind of a full season.
(08:02–08:24) Emphasizes a “next man up” mentality and names Chris Flexen as a pitcher who’s made adjustments and could be stretched into a starter role.
(09:07–10:08) Offensively, Hoyer is impressed with team-wide discipline at the plate and calls out Pete Crow-Armstrong’s unexpected power surge and athleticism.
(11:52–14:52) Hoyer commends Michael Busch’s consistent at-bats, discusses Matt Shaw’s progress in Triple-A, and explains how the Cubs monitor innings workload using performance data rather than a fixed cap.
