Javier Assad will reportedly have to start his rehab from scratch
The Chicago Cubs delivered some bad news on Friday, as long-reliever/starting pitcher Javier Assad has been shut down from throwing after re-injuring his oblique earlier this week.
Manager Craig Counsell made the announcement before Friday’s game against the Phillies, saying Assad was diagnosed with a grade two oblique strain. It’s difficult to project a timeline, but a grade 2 strain typically sidelines a player for 6-8 weeks.
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Assad suffered the injury at the beginning of Spring Training, and the only innings he has thrown this year came in a pair of rehab starts on April 15 and 22. The 27-year-old tossed 7.1 innings between the two games, but was removed from the second start on Tuesday after grabbing his side while warming up for the fifth inning.
It’s unfortunate news since the Cubs will also have to fend without starter Justin Steele for the remainder of 2025. The team will have to figure out how to cover a lot of innings this year without two of their main rotation cogs from 2024.
Southpaw Jordan Wicks has already had one stint with the Major League roster out of the bullpen, and he was shown the door after struggling in his two outings. Triple-A starters Chris Flexen, Connor Noland, and Cade Horton are the main depth pieces behind Wicks. Flexen, who currently has a 0.40 ERA in four starts for Iowa, is the only one of the three with Major League experience. The 30-year-old has 647.2 major league innings under his belt as both a starter and reliever, with a career 4.95 ERA.
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