The Cubs look poised to undo a decision that has lingered over their pitching staff since August 21.
Javier Assad, who was optioned to Triple-A Iowa that day, is eligible to come back on Saturday and is already with the club in Miami for this weekend’s series against the Marlins. Shota Imanaga is set to start Friday night, but there’s now a real possibility Assad takes the ball on Saturday or Sunday, even though Clay Holmes and Matthew Boyd are listed in those rotation spots on paper. For now, both of those starts are marked TBD, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro.
“Javier Assad is here in Miami, he’s in the outfield for pregame work with the other Cubs pitchers.
Assad is eligible to be recalled from Triple-A tomorrow. Cubs’ starters for Saturday and Sunday are currently listed as TBD.”
The Cubs’ repeated use of Assad’s minor-league options has been easy to understand from a roster-management standpoint. It lets them keep other arms on the active roster without exposing them to waivers, and that kind of maneuvering happens all season long. But as the postseason draws closer, the standard shifts: teams want their best 26 players, and Assad has not been on the big-league side of that equation often enough.
That’s become more glaring over the last week, with the bullpen enduring several rough outings while Assad remained in Iowa. The Cubs seem ready to fix that now, but the question is how they make room.
Jacob Webb is one possibility. His forearm X-rays came back negative, though the Cubs still haven’t completely ruled out an injured list stint.
That would create an easy path for Assad to return and, ideally, get Webb back before the playoffs. The problem is timing: the Cubs may not be able to afford losing their best reliever for two weeks while they’re still trying to lock down a playoff spot.
If Webb isn’t the move, Tyler Ferguson could be the one sent down. He, too, has minor-league options, which gives the Cubs flexibility without risking another pitcher on waivers. And there’s a chance this kind of roster juggling becomes even more complicated soon, with as many as four pitchers potentially returning from injury before October.
In Other News...
Cubs Fans Have Another Reason To Revisit The Kyle Tucker Trade
Hayden Wesneski has given Cubs fans one more reason to keep looking back at the Kyle Tucker deal, and not just because Tucker never spent long in Chicago. The right-hander, included in the trade package sent to Houston, has looked much more like a dependable starter after working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and his early run with the Astros has been enough to make the return package feel more complicated than it did at the time.
Through his first seven starts this season, Wesneski has paired a 3.18 ERA with a much cleaner home-run profile than he showed with the Cubs. For Chicago, that only adds to the familiar debate over whether the price for Tucker was too steep for a player who ended up contributing mostly in one season, especially if one of the pieces going the other way is beginning to settle in elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Face One Offseason Decision That Could Reshape Their Rotation
The Cubs already have a handful of offseason decisions sitting in front of them, with mutual, club and player options spread across the roster for the 2027 season. In most cases, the outcome feels familiar enough: mutual options rarely get exercised, and the front office may choose to keep some players while moving on from others as it trims the roster around the edges and preserves flexibility for the winter ahead.
The bigger question is Clay Holmes, whose player option is expected to go unpicked, putting him on track to test free agency. For a Cubs rotation that could look different depending on how those other options resolve, that makes Holmes a name worth watching closely. If he reaches the market, Chicago could have a real chance to make him a priority, but the timing also leaves the club with one more important decision in a market that may already be shifting beneath it. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs May Already Know Which Productive Veterans Wont Be Back
As the Cubs keep one eye on the pennant race and another on what comes next, a few expiring contracts are already shaping the winter conversation. Matthew Boyd had provided useful innings before his late-season performance tailed off, while Carson Kelly gave the club a strong return behind the plate. Tyrone Taylor, meanwhile, has been productive in a limited role and has fit in well enough to merit a look beyond the box score.
The problem for Chicago is that usefulness does not always line up with the market. Kellys price may climb beyond what the Cubs want to commit, and Taylors role could be squeezed by the roster plans already taking shape, even after an impressive stretch. Boyds uneven finish adds another layer of uncertainty, leaving the front office with several veterans who have helped in different ways but may not all be back when the offseason decisions finally come due. [Read more 🡒]