Cubs manager Craig Counsell reveals that the team’s pitching depth will be a bit banged up heading into the regular season. Per Cubs beat Bruce Levine, Counsell said both LHP Jordan Wicks and RHP Porter Hodge will start the season on the IL. Wick is dealing with radial nerve irritation in his pitching arm, and Hodge with a right elbow flexor strain. Both pitchers have spent the last few seasons dealing with various injuries.
Cubs pitchers Porter Hodge, LHP Jordan Wicks both will start the season on the IL. Wicks left arm nerve issue. Hodge right elbow flexor strain.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) March 8, 2026
What losing Wicks and Hodge means.
The Cubs have a very deep pitching staff in the organization, and that is what Wicks and Hodge were. Neither were in a position to have a major role come Opening Day. It’s possible one or both of them would not have even made the MLB roster out of the gate.
Hodge was a possibility for a reliever role heading into Spring Training, but he really struggled with command and execution in Cactus League action. He surrendered seven runs (31.50 ERA) and seven walks in 2.0 innings in Spring Training. He’s got two MiLB options, and the bullpen has plenty of veterans, so his likelihood of having a major role in the bullpen to start 2026 was quickly diminishing before the injury. The stuff is there, but the execution and staying healthy have lacked over the past season after a promising rookie year in 2024.
Wicks had the potential to be a swingman on the Opening Day roster, though he also has MiLB options left, and he could start his season in Iowa. Colin Rea and Javier Assad are the top go-to swigmen on the Cubs right now, and finding a spot for Wicks on that staff would probably have been a bit difficult anyway, barring other injuries. Last season, Wicks appeared in eight games, all in relief, and posted a 6.28 ERA and 1.7 WHIP.
Still plenty of pitching depth.
Losing depth is never ideal, but as previously mentioned, they still have plenty of arms to go to. One nice thing about Wicks was having another lefty, but the Cubs added Hoby Milner, re-signed Caleb Thielbar, and will have three lefty starters once Justin Steele returns. Then there’s the possibility of a six-man rotation plus Rea and Assad as swing men, assuming all the other starters are healthy and pitching well.
This is not to say neither Hodge nor Wicks will have a spot on the roster down the road. Guys get hurt, and teams have to dip deeper into their depth at some point over a 162-game season. They are just both currently further down the chart than others at the moment. It’s difficult to say whether either will ever become consistently reliable MLB pitchers, but once healthy, they will be part of the organization’s pitching depth until further notice.
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