Shota Imanaga to return from IL next week, giving Cubs decision to make in starting rotation

Shota Imanaga’s time on the injured list is nearing its end.

The Cubs’ lefty starting pitcher, who has been on the IL since May 5 with a strained hamstring, will make his next start with the big league team, manager Craig Counsell said Saturday, after he threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Friday night. He’ll join the Cubs on next week’s trip to St. Louis, where they play a four-game series with the rival Cardinals.

“Everything went great,” Counsell said. “He did what we hoped he would do.”

Imanaga’s return figures to be a big relief for a Cubs team that’s faced numerous injuries to its starting staff this season. In addition to Imanaga’s extended absence, lefty Justin Steele is out for the year after having elbow surgery, and righty Javier Assad has yet to throw a major league pitch in 2025 as he works back from an oblique strain.

While waiting for the increased activity that comes as the trade deadline nears, the Cubs have relied on internal solutions, and the results have been mostly positive. Right-hander Colin Rea moved from the bullpen and has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his 12 outings since. Righty Cade Horton, who started the season as one of the highest rated pitching prospects in baseball, has a 3.47 ERA in his first seven major league outings.

But getting Imanaga back puts the Cubs on better footing as they chase championship-level goals. He has been excellent when he’s pitched this season, with a 2.82 ERA in his eight starts.

But who gets removed from the rotation to clear room for Imanaga?

Counsell said Saturday that all options are being considered, and the Cubs will wait to make a final decision until they have to, as events between now and Imanaga’s official return to the active roster could change the calculus.

In an example of how quickly things can change on the pitching front, left-hander Matthew Boyd, who has been the team’s best starter in the absence of Imanaga and Steele, was removed from his start Friday after making a catch on a hard-hit liner that resulted in a bruised shoulder.

“I don’t think we’re going to know anything here for a couple days,” Counsell said of Boyd’s status. “It’s just a swelling issue. It’s going to go away as the days go on. It’s going to get better. We just want to make sure, as we get close to the start, that it’s [not] impacting him.

“I don’t know [if we’ll skip his next start]. We’ll give ourselves a couple more days before we think about that. Right now, he’s on schedule to pitch. If we get closer and he’s unable to have a normal four days in between starts, then we’ll reevaluate.”

When it comes to a more permanent solution, though, veterans like Boyd and righty Jameson Taillon don’t figure to be going anywhere.

Rea could shift back to the bullpen as a long man, or the relatively inexperienced Horton could return to the minor leagues to allow for better control over his workload. But both have been steadier presences than righty Ben Brown, whose 5.57 ERA is the largest among the starters. Brown has swung dramatically between great outings and ugly ones, lacking the consistency of the other pitchers the Cubs could consider removing when Imanaga comes back.

But based on the manager’s comments, it’s a decision that likely won’t be known – or perhaps even made – until Imanaga’s next start.

If it means Imanaga’s back, though, it’s a good problem to have for the Cubs. He figures to pitch next in a critical division game; the Cardinals started Saturday just 4 1/2 games back, tied for second place in the NL Central.

If the Cubs are going to accomplish their goals this season, they’ll need a healthy Imanaga.

Next week, they’ll get that version of their All-Star starter.