MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs envisioned a bounce-back season for reliever Porter Hodge.
Hodge struggled with inconsistency and injuries in 2025 that limited his effectiveness following a stellar rookie season, but he had shown good stuff early this camp during his bullpens and live batting practice. Any impact Hodge might have in the Cubs’ bullpen this year is now on pause.
Hodge will start the season on the injured list because of a flexor tendon strain. He is shut down from throwing for a couple of weeks, is scheduled to be reevaluated in two weeks and then start plyos at the end of March.
Hodge, 25, had not appeared in a Cactus League game since Feb. 27 due to experiencing elbow soreness in the aftermath of his outing. In his three spring appearances, Hodge’s command was shaky, walking seven batters in two innings.
“It’s a setback and it’s going to put him certainly behind and take him a while to get back up to be healthy and ready to contribute,” manager Craig Counsell said Sunday. “So that part is unfortunate.”
Left-hander Jordan Wicks will also begin the season on the IL due to radial nerve irritation. Wicks, who has been sidelined by the issue since Feb. 25, is expected to throw off a mound in mid-to-late March.
Cubs pitcher Jordan Wicks poses for a portrait during photo day at spring training at Sloan Park on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
“These are hard, physical jobs that are going to cause injuries, so they’re going to happen, and putting the roster together, you have to look at it, unfortunately,” Counsell said. “You don’t want anybody to get hurt. Certainly weren’t expecting those two guys to get hurt, but they’re the two guys right now that are going to be dealing with something.
“On both ends, we’re fortunate they’re not the long-term injuries right now, so that’s a good thing.”
The Cubs received encouraging news on first baseman Jonathon Long, who hasn’t played since Feb. 21 because of a left elbow sprain. Long’s testing came back fine, and he has started to turn the corner, Counsell said. He’s getting reintroduced to full workouts, which included hitting in the lab and defensive work Sunday, with this upcoming weekend targeted for a return to Cactus League game action.
The Cubs reduced their big-league camp roster from 62 to 53 players before Sunday’s game.
Left-hander Riley Martin, right-hander Jack Neely, and infielders Ben Cowles and James Triantos were optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Infielder Pedro Ramírez was optioned to Double-A Knoxville. Right-handers Grant Kipp, Connor Noland, Connor Schultz and Jaxon Wiggins were returned to minor-league camp.
Wiggins showed encouraging stuff this spring and could become an asset to the Cubs’ pitching staff by the end of the season.
“The finishing touches can happen really fast, is how I would describe it, but they can also take a while,” Counsell said. “That’s Jackson’s job right now to go complete that and just make himself a little bit more of a complete pitcher, but it’s certainly very close.”
Ramírez, Triantos and Cowles all represent depth for the infield if any injuries pop up with the trio on the 40-man roster. Counsell said he had multiple players on the 26-man roster singing Ramírez’s praises as a worker, which is a great sign for the 21-year-old. For Triantos, Counsell wants to see him continue to get better after a tough season offensively last year, but believes he’s off to a good start following his spring performance.
“When you’re on the 40-man roster, the message is always, look, whatever’s going on, you’re a day away from being a Chicago Cub,” Counsell said. “So I always think that helps you through the season and understanding that if something happens, because you’re on the roster you get the first shot. For (those three) that really applies, no matter what’s going on outside all the things you can control.”