For the first time in 2025, you really noticed the loss of Justin Steele and Shōta Imanaga in the starting rotation this past weekend against the Cincinnati Reds. Regression was bound to hit as Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea each struggled at the Great American Ballpark, while Ben Brown was hammered again in the series finale.
Luckily, the Cubs offense bailed out the team and led them to a series win. The Cubs have a problem, a major one, and a new injury will further complicate how Craig Counsell will piece together a rapidly declining rotation.
Steele won’t be back until 2026, but Imanaga is trending in a positive direction after he was placed on the injured list in early May because of a hamstring strain. Imanaga doesn’t have a set date to return, “deep into June,” was the latest update from Counsell on the Japanese starter.
Still, Imanaga is progressing, scheduled to throw a bullpen Wednesday and a trip to Arizona soon to continue his rehab.
Until his return, the Cubs have to find a way to survive through the back end of the starting rotation.
Brown is the weak point in the starting rotation as we approach June. He only has two quality starts under his belt in 2025 out of 10 attempts and has recorded a 6.38 ERA in 48 innings as a starter. Despite a few solid outings in May, Brown has posted a 7.76 ERA in his last six starts, averaging less than five innings per appearance.
So yeah, the Cubs should be trying to find a replacement because those results will have a domino effect on the rest of the pitching staff. Shorter starts means the bullpen will be taxed even more, an issue Counsell mentioned a week ago after the team’s series against the Miami Marlins.
At this point you wouldn’t want to move Brad Keller out of his high-leverage role in the bullpen, which then only leaves Chris Flexen as the other pitcher on the active roster with recent starting experience.
Rotation depth has been a huge issue going back to spring training, when Javier Assad suffered an oblique strain and prospect Brandon Birdsell was sidelined because of a shoulder injury.
Top Cubs pitching prospect Cade Horton has already been called up from Triple-A. The painful reality is that the organization has its hands tied when it comes to replacing Brown in the rotation and the Cubs are down another option after an injury to Jordan Wicks.
On Wednesday, the Iowa Cubs placed Wicks on the injured list. The left-handed pitcher exited his last start on Saturday after only facing one batter. That’s never a good sign and Wicks’ absence will be clouded in mystery because the team hasn’t offered up any details surrounding his injury.
The @IowaCubs have placed LHP Jordan Wicks on the injured list. Wicks retired just one hitter in his last start at Columbus before leaving the game with an injury.
— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) May 28, 2025
No word yet on what the injury is.
Keegan Thompson had recently been stretched out to start games at Triple-A, but he’s been on the injured list since May 23.
So, besides potentially moving Flexen from the bullpen, the only other starter options the Cubs have at their disposal are…ummm, bad.
With Wicks, you could have at least gone to a guy who has pitched in the majors with the Cubs. He also had issues going deep in games through his first 17 starts in the big leagues, but if the Cubs were looking for an alternative to Brown, then Wicks could have sufficed.
Unfortunately, Wicks is no longer available.
So, stick with Brown? Switch to Flexen? I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for a trade anytime soon, which means the Cubs are kinda stuck. This is also means more than ever before, the Cubs are desperate to have a healthy Imanaga back in the starting rotation.
