Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Shota Imanaga Injury Update: Cubs’ Rotation Depth Now in Further Jeopardy

At the worst possible time for the Cubs!

Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs’ already-thin starting rotation may be heading toward another crisis.

On Sunday, Shota Imanaga left his start in the sixth inning after appearing to suffer a left hamstring injury while trying to cover first base. The 31-year-old left-hander pulled up sharply while sprinting to the bag on a Christian Yelich grounder and immediately signaled to the dugout after grabbing the back of his leg.

Shota Imanaga left the game after appearing to injure himself while covering first pic.twitter.com/78oyqAajuX
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 4, 2025

Moments later, he walked off the field alongside trainers, and the Brewers promptly capitalized, erupting for four runs in the frame to secure a 4-0 win over the Cubs. It was a worrisome moment for Chicago, whose rotation depth is already hanging by a thread.

Imanaga, who has been one of the Cubs’ most reliable arms this season, had previously left his last outing against the Pirates with cramping in both quads, something the team dismissed as minor at the time. He returned on regular rest but now faces an uncertain timeline after this latest setback. If Imanaga misses time, it would be another major blow for a rotation that’s already lost ace Justin Steele for the season due to elbow surgery and is currently without Javier Assad, who suffered a setback while recovering from an oblique strain.

Chicago has been relying on a patchwork group that includes Jameson Taillon, Ben Brown, Matthew Boyd, and Colin Rea, the latter shifted from bullpen duty following Steele’s injury and has performed admirably so far. Chris Flexen remains an option from the pen, and southpaw Jordan Wicks is available in Triple-A, though his results there have been inconsistent.

After allowing just 1 run and 2 hits over 6 frames today, @Cubs No. 2 prospect Cade Horton now has a 1.24 ERA across 6 starts for the @IowaCubs this season 😯 pic.twitter.com/s6iocsVSwU
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 4, 2025

The wild card in all of this could be top pitching prospect Cade Horton. The 23-year-old right-hander has been lights-out in Triple-A Iowa, posting a 1.24 ERA through 34 1/3 innings across six starts with 33 strikeouts. Horton was expected to make his MLB debut later this year, but if Imanaga’s injury lingers, that timeline could be fast-tracked.

How Long Will Shota Imanaga Be Out For?

Manager Craig Counsell confirmed after the game that Imanaga sustained a hamstring strain and would undergo imaging to determine the severity. For now, there’s no official word on whether he’ll require a stint on the injured list, but Counsell declined to offer speculation before the results come in.

ALSO READ: Is Kyle Tucker Signing an Extension with the Cubs?

Despite Sunday’s loss, Imanaga’s body of work this season has been impressive. He exits the outing with a 2.82 ERA across eight starts. For a Cubs team trying to stay competitive in a tight NL Central, keeping him healthy is essential, and right now, that’s very much up in the air.

Cubs

Shota Imanaga

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.