It wasn’t likely that Javier Assad was going to be ready by Opening Day once he was diagnosed with a left oblique strain a few days into spring training and on Saturday the Cubs officially ruled out the pitcher for the start of the 2025 season.
Assad, who made 29 starts for the Cubs last season, was one of several pitchers competing for the fifth starter role to begin spring training. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old righty he’s no longer in the picture for a spot in the starting rotation as his ramp up will extend into the regular season after he was shut down for a bit in February.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Saturday that Assad will begin to throw live bullpen sessions by the end of next week. The team wants Assad to prepare as a starting pitcher, so he’ll be behind by the time all 30 MLB teams get underway in the regular season at the end of March.
Via the Chicago Sun-Times.
“We want to give him a proper build up,” Counsell said. “And that means a couple bullpens, a couple (live batting practice sessions), and starting to ramp up as a starter. So that puts some days on the calendar and gets you into the season.”
Assad tossed 147 innings and recorded a 3.74 ERA in 2024. He was excellent in his first 15 starts of the year, posting a 2.75 ERA through June 17. The right-handed pitcher only allowed four earned runs or more twice during his first 15 starts, but Assad eventually regressed and had a three-week stint on the injured list because of a forearm strain.
With Assad no longer in the mix for the fifth spot in the starting rotation out of spring training the Cubs still have a plethora of arms available to fill the role. Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks and Colin Rea are the main contenders for the job, while Chris Flexen and Brad Keller are also vying for an Opening Day spot.
As things currently stand, Shōta Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd are all locks to be in the rotation. Rea is expected to make the roster no matter what, but he’s had previous experience as a swingman, so there’s no guarantee that he’ll automatically take that fifth spot.
There’s also the likely scenario in which Counsell utilizes a six-man rotation at times, so there will be plenty of opportunities for the team’s pitching depth to prosper in the rotation if most of the pitchers stay healthy.
