Injuries took a heavy toll on the Cubs in 2026, and with the offseason getting closer by the day, there’s already a clear picture forming around who should be ready when 2027 begins - and who probably won’t be part of the mix at all.
The one name that does not belong in this conversation is Justin Steele. He did not make his major-league return in 2026, but he finished the season healthy. Unless something goes wrong over the winter, Steele is expected to follow a normal throwing program and make his way back into the rotation when the season starts next year.
Among the players the Cubs are not expected to have back in 2027, Austin stands out as a situation that needs a little sorting through. He signed a split-contract with the Cubs last offseason, and there’s a chance he becomes a free agent this winter.
Some sites say he may be eligible for arbitration because of his previous service time, but using FanGraphs’ RosterResource, he is listed as a free agent. Austin had knee surgery near the start of spring training, Craig Counsell described the recovery as a matter of months, and he never got back to baseball activities.
At this point, it’s difficult to see the Cubs revisiting that option.
Harvey’s path looks even clearer. He did appear in four games for Chicago in 2026, but a triceps injury kept him out after the first week of April.
He seemed to be building back in August and had a possible rehab assignment on the horizon, but the Cubs shut him down before that could happen. The expectation now is straightforward: he won’t be back.
Thornton’s season ended in a different way, but the result is the same. He had been a steady part of the bullpen until the middle of September, when a line drive struck his ankle.
He finished with a 3.35 ERA in 48 appearances, though his 5.21 FIP suggested the Cubs were never far from moving on. He’s set to hit free agency this winter, and while he should be healthy, a reunion doesn’t sound like a priority.
For the players still under contract, the outlook is more optimistic. Miller was shut down before he could throw a pitch for the Cubs this season, but the goal was always to protect his offseason and have him ready after spending the year recovering from Tommy John surgery. He should be set for the start of 2027.
Martin is in a similar position. He ended the season back on a throwing program, and the Cubs have already confirmed that surgery won’t be needed for the flexor strain that cut short his rookie season. He should be fully healthy once baseball resumes.
Horton and Hodge fall into the longer-recovery bucket. Horton’s return in 2027, if it happens, is more likely to come near the end of the season as he works back from Tommy John surgery.
Hodge had reconstructive UCL surgery on April 20, and the Cubs initially gave him a 12-14 month timeline. Realistically, a return by the end of July would be a reasonable guess, though even before the injury he had already appeared to slip out of the team’s pitching plans.
Maton had surgery in September to repair a partially torn patellar tendon, and because that operation came so late in the season, the Cubs have not given an initial recovery timeline. That update would need to arrive before the December lockout, or else everyone will be left guessing. The expectation is that he should be healthy when baseball starts again.
Brown is the biggest question mark of the group. He’s dealing with the same injury that cut short his 2024 season, a stress reaction in his neck, and the Cubs and Brown believed they were in a better spot to handle it this time.
He was ramping up for a possible late-season return before being shut down, and Craig Counsell said only that Brown would not pitch for the rest of the 2026 season. Beyond that, there was no further update.
If Brown is healthy and the neck issue is truly behind him, that would be the best-case outcome. Right now, though, the Cubs are not there yet.
In Other News...
Cubs May Be Losing Their Biggest Edge Over The Brewers
The Cubs have spent much of this stretch with one clear advantage in the division: financial muscle. Heading toward 2026, their projected payroll still sits well above the rest of the National League Central, a cushion that has helped separate them from teams like Milwaukee when it comes to adding talent and absorbing mistakes. For a club trying to keep pace in a tightening race, that kind of edge has mattered almost as much as what happens on the field.
But the gap may not stay that wide for long. The Brewers are coming off another division title and have built the kind of farm system and organizational depth that can keep producing even as their resources grow, while the Cubs are dealing with a thinner pipeline and a pitching staff that still needs work. If Milwaukees financial flexibility keeps improving, the Cubs could find themselves facing a rival with fewer limitations and a lot less to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Pitching Hope Suddenly Comes With One Worry
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Now there is at least one concern attached to that momentum. Reid left a recent game early because of an unspecified injury, and for a Cubs organization that has been watching his progress closely, any health question is hard to ignore. He is part of a broader wave of farm-system pitchers the club is tracking, alongside names like Josiah Hartshorn and Cade Townsend, so the next update on Reid matters well beyond one fall outing. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cubs Prospect Offers A Warning As Kevin Alcantara Decision Looms
Nelson Velzquezs latest move is another reminder of how quickly a once-promising Cubs prospect can get pushed to the margins. The Houston Astros released the outfielder so he could chase an opportunity in Asia after a season split between St. Louis and Houston, where he hit .188/.257/.406 with six homers. For Chicago, its a familiar name and a familiar cautionary tale, because Velzquez once looked like part of the future before the path changed in a hurry.
That matters now because Kevin Alcantara is approaching his own crossroads, and his situation comes with real roster pressure. Alcantara no longer has minor-league options, which complicates the Cubs flexibility and keeps a trade in the conversation as teams weigh whether he can fit on a big-league roster right away. Velzquezs trajectory shows how fast a young power bat can go from prospect buzz to uncertain fit, and it leaves the Cubs with one more decision they cant afford to get wrong. [Read more 🡒]