Overview
- Manager Craig Counsell, speaking Tuesday before the game in St. Petersburg, said Horton will have surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will miss the rest of the season.
- The decision followed a consult with noted elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, and the club has not set a surgery date.
- Doctors will determine during the operation whether to perform a full Tommy John reconstruction or an alternative repair, and a full reconstruction often requires 14 months or more before a pitcher returns.
- Horton, 24, left his April 3 start after a sudden velocity drop and forearm pain, was placed on the 15‑day injured list, and now faces a second major elbow surgery after Tommy John as a college freshman in 2021.
- Chicago will lean on in‑house depth as Matthew Boyd sits on the IL and Justin Steele works back from elbow surgery, with Colin Rea and Javier Assad taking innings and recent call‑up Riley Martin filling a bullpen spot.