.jpg)
1 hour ago
2
The Chicago Cubs have dealt with pitching injuries all season long. Cade Horton was out for the year early after he underwent Tommy John surgery back in April, and Justin Steele still hasn't made his 2026 debut after undergoing an ulnar ligament revision/internal brace in April 2025.
More recently, they saw Edward Cabrera hit the IL with a severe left hamstring/adductor strain, Ben Brown hit the IL with a neck strain, and Jameson Taillon hit the IL with a left hamstring strain.
For most teams, they wouldn't be able to do much of anything, but not the Cubs. The red-hot offense is carrying the club on its back as of late.
MORE: Cubs' projected trade deadline shopping list is all about pitchers
Severe starting pitching injuries cap the Cubs' midpoint grade
Despite struggling a bit earlier on, Pete Crow-Armstrong has been red-hot as of late. He's hitting .284/.373/.515 with 19 home runs, 46 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases.
Dansby Swanson has also gotten in on the action, especially over the last few days. He has hit five home runs over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday's games against the San Diego Padres.
With this level of offense, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly has given this club a B in his midpoint summary piece, demanding the Cubs grab another arm before the trade deadline.
"Lineup wise, there's a lot to like. Pete Crow-Armstrong leads all position players with a 4.7 WAR, per FanGraphs. Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki both are north of .800 in terms of OPS. Alex Bregman, Michael Busch and Nico Hoerner all need to improve their results, but this is a really talented offense, and a group that fields well to go with it. Adding at least one impact starter is a must, though."
Now, there are some solid options the Cubs could go after. They could see what it would take to acquire Freddy Peralta or Clay Holmes or maybe someone more controllable like Stephen Kolek from the Kansas City Royals.
English (US)