Cubs News: With Imanaga out, who's ready to step up?

Michael Mcloone - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Monday, May 05 2025

Considering the schedule the Cubs have faced this season, seeing this team at 21-14 and leading the NL Central is an accomplishment in itself. However, to have that record with the injuries their starting rotation has gone through is even more impressive, as the Cubs have officially lost 60% of what their opening-day starting rotation was supposed to look like.

It all started with Javier Assad injuring his oblique in the Spring and reinjuring it during his Minor League rehab. That was followed by Justin Steele blowing out his elbow three weeks ago as he will be lost for the remainder of the season and part of next season.

For the most part, the Cubs have gotten away with those losses as Colin Rea has stepped in for Steele and has been nothing short of amazing thus far, while Ben Brown has taken over the No. 5 spot and has been up and down at best. However, losing Imanaga for what looks to be 4 to 6 weeks with a hamstring strain is another story, as he was the glue holding the rotation together, and now the Cubs will be in scramble mode.

With Imanaga down with an injury, Jameson Taillon takes over as the de facto ace of the staff, with Matthew Boyd now the No. 2. No disrespect to either of them, as they have both pitched well. Still, neither one of them is a top-two starter in any rotation, as the Cubs' depth will be tested over the next month.

If there were a time to panic and worry about this great start going to waste, now would be it, as they have games with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets looming this week. However, with nine games against the Marlins and White Sox to follow, the Cubs may be able to get away with a mediocre staff for the time being as long as their offense can continue leading the way.

At some point, the Cubs will have to address Imanaga's absence, as they will not be able to stay above water much longer if another injury happens. Right now, the Cubs have several in-house options to consider as short-term fixes, all of which make sense in some aspect.

Chris Flexen is the most likely option, as he is already on the MLB roster. Flexen was signed as a Minor League free agent in the offseason and put up great numbers for AAA Iowa, posting an ERA below 1.2 for the season. That alone earned him a call-up to the bigs, where he went and threw three scoreless innings against the Brewers on Friday in his season debut.

Of all the options, Flexen has the most experience, as he has 154 career starts under his belt. Granted, the overall results haven't been great, but Flexen has made some adjustments this offseason, which have led him to look like the Seattle Mariners version of himself. Given who the Cubs will see this week, Flexen is the best option to face those opponents, given his experience on the mound.

The rest of the Cubs' house options are all in AAA, and the top choice is Cade Horton. Given his injury history with the Cubs, it was expected that Horton would be on an innings limit this season. While that will come at some point, he is dominating for the time being, and the Cubs need to capitalize on that situation.

Horton gave the Iowa Cubs six innings for the second straight start, allowing one run and striking out five. His ERA is 1.24 across his six starts this season, and he has allowed one run or less in all five of those starts. Even if this is only a short-term option, Horton deserves a chance to show what he can do, and you also have the option to move Flexen to the rotation and Horton to the pen, where he could be a massive X-Factor.

Jordan Wicks is the other option lingering in AAA. Wicks has struggled this season both in the pen and as a starter, but has some big-league experience in the rotation. He is also a lefty, and with Boyd being the lone lefty in the rotation, Craig Counsell may want to consider bringing in another lefty, which is where Wicks lines up. In essence, the Cubs will have to figure something out soon, as these are the most likely options in AAA at the moment.

If there is one thing we have learned about Jed Hoyer and this front office, we need to expect the unexpected. Going off that theme, don't count out Keegan Thompson as a possible replacement for Imanaga. Like Wicks, Thompson has big-league experience as a starter and has struggled mightily in relief the past two seasons. However, 2025 has been a different story for Thompson as he has bounced around between starter and reliever and posted a 2.41 ERA for the season.

In his most recent start, Thompson lasted four innings, allowing one run and striking out five. What stands out the most with him this season is his rediscovered command, as he has just three walks to 27 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings. Whether that is sustainable or not is another topic, but he is another one who has figured something out and could be used as a hot-hand type of option.

Whatever option the Cubs elect to go with here, they will have massive shoes to fill, as Imanaga has been the heart and soul of this rotation the past two seasons. As fans and an organization, the expectations must be tempered as none of these options should be expected to perform at the level Imanaga has in the past two seasons.

The only time the expectation should be high would be if Hoyer pulled the trigger on an early-season trade, which he doesn't tend to do. Adding a guy like Erick Fedde or Sandy Alcantara seems like a nice play, but it doesn't appear that either of them will be moved at this point., You also have to wonder if the Luis Castillo talks to the Cubs will pick back up, but given that the Mariners are now in first, why would they trade away one of their top pieces?

That leads to names from teams who are not only struggling but are downright awful this season. Pablo Lopez could be an option for the Twins, as he is off to a great start again. You also have Kyle Freeland in Colorado, and despite his numbers, he is a lefty who would fare better in Wrigley Field. Either way, the Cubs have put themselves in a position to make something happen and have the ammo to get something done.