Cubs won't have rookie Horton to open playoffs

CHICAGO -- The Cubs placed right-hander Cade Horton connected the 15-day injured database Saturday owed to a rib fracture, the squad announced, eliminating immoderate accidental of him pitching successful the wild-card circular adjacent week.

Horton, 24, initially injured himself coughing portion sick past week successful Cincinnati. He near his past commencement Tuesday aft 2 innings.

Imaging showed an contented successful his back/rib area, but the Cubs thought they could determination guardant contempt the ailment. Horton played drawback Friday and Saturday earlier the Cubs said helium would beryllium enactment connected the injured list.

Horton had emerged arsenic the Cubs' champion starter contempt being a rookie. He was 8-1 with a 1.03 ERA successful 12 second-half starts earlier leaving his last outing aboriginal connected Tuesday against the Mets. He is the favourite to triumph the National League Rookie of the Year grant but won't beryllium eligible to transportation successful the postseason until astatine slightest Game 5 of the part series.

"There's immoderate areas of interest successful the ribs [based] connected the MRI," manager Craig Counsell said earlier successful the week. "We're going to proceed to get much accusation connected it and spot wherever that leads us."

The Cubs volition look the San Diego Padres successful the wild-card round, opening Tuesday. Horton was a imaginable Game 1 starter, which means the Cubs are apt to crook to Matthew Boyd for that relation with Shota Imanaga besides successful play. Right-handers Jameson Taillon oregon Colin Rea could get a commencement arsenic good aft some person had beardown finishes to the season.