The Chicago Cubs are reportedly calling up left-handed relief pitcher Riley Martin to take Cade Horton’s spot on the 26-man roster, according to Jacob Zanolla. Horton exited Friday’s start against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning with forearm discomfort and is now on the 15-day injured list. The Cubs will have to wait a few days before they know the severity of Horton’s arm injury. Following Friday’s 4-1 loss, Horton was hopeful he had avoided a major, long-term issue, but we won’t know for sure until the team gets back the results of an MRI.
With Martin’s addition to the pitching staff, we can assume that veteran swing-man Colin Rea, who came in relief of Horton on Friday, will slot into the rotation. Martin, now 28-years-old, is finally getting his first shot in the majors after pitching in the minor leagues since 2021.
The left-handed pitcher has been in Triple-A the past couple of years and was added to the 40-man roster this past offseason. Martin was taken in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Cubs, and this might be his prove-it year in the organization. The lefty has always posted good strikeout numbers, a career 33.3 K% in the minors, and in 2025, Martin had a great season with the Iowa Cubs.
Martin had a 2.69 ERA in 63.2 innings last season with a 30.7 K%. He was also able to decrease his walk rate, which was above 16% in 2023 and 2024, down to 13.4% last year. His presence in the bullpen now gives manager Craig Counsell three left-handed relievers to work with alongside veterans Hoby Milner and Caleb Thielbar.
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So far in 2026, Martin has pitched in one game at Triple-A. The lefty threw three innings on March 31, when he struck out three, walked two, and gave up one earned run.
Martin can be used in multiple ways, as he has plenty of experience as a multi-inning reliever and high-leverage arm, and, obviously, now for the Cubs, he could slide into the long-man role that Rea had to begin the regular season.
Overall in his minor league career, Martin has posted a 3.76 ERA across 282.2 innings.
