Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-hander Javier Assad (oblique), who has yet to pitch in 2025 due to an oblique strain that originally landed him on the 15-day injured list on March 17, is making progress and played catch on Monday for the first time since suffering a setback in his second minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on April 25. The Cubs eventually transferred Assad to the 60-day IL on April 30 to clear up a 40-man roster spot. The 27-year-old is making progress but still has a ways to go before the Cubs can consider him an option for their big-league pitching staff. He was a full-time starter for the first time in 2024 and held his own with a 3.73 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 124:63 K:BB in 147 innings over 29 starts. However, due to his injury this year, there's a good chance Assad will find himself back in Chicago's bullpen when he makes his 2025 debut.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-hander Javier Assad (oblique) suffered a Grade 2 left-oblique strain after reinjuring the same side that flared up on him during spring training. Assad will be shut down and will essentially have to start rehab/throwing program from scratch again. The 27-year-old suffered the new injury during his minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday and is now out indefinitely. It's a tough break for a pitcher who was getting close to being able to make his 2025 debut in the big leagues. With Assad having to start from scratch, fantasy managers in NL-only leagues shouldn't plan on having him available until sometime in June. Assad held his own in his transition to being a full-time starter in 2024, but his lack of strikeout stuff limits his fantasy upside to mainly NL-only formats. There's also no guarantee a rotation spot will be open for him when he's ready to return.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-hander Javier Assad (oblique) felt discomfort in his side during his minor-league rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday and is on his way to Chicago to be examined by the team's medical staff. The 27-year-old injured his left oblique in spring training and opened the 2025 season on the 15-day injured list. Just when the Mexican hurler was getting close to a debut in the big leagues, he suffered a setback this week. In two rehab games with Iowa, Assad allowed three earned runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out nine over 7 1/3 innings. He did a respectable job in his transition to being a full-time start for the Cubbies in 2024, but Assad lacks a ton of fantasy upside because of a below-average strikeout rate. There's no timetable for his potential return to the majors, and when he is back, there's no guarantee he'll have a rotation spot waiting for him.
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad (oblique) left his rehab start early on Tuesday after grabbing at his side while warming up for the fifth inning. This certainly isn't good news for the right-hander, especially since it appears like a re-aggravation of the oblique injury that he is rehabbing. There should be more updates after he is evaluated further, but it looks like he will have to wait even longer before making his return to the major league roster.
Javier Assad Goes 3 1/3 Innings In First Rehab Start
Chicago Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (oblique) made his first minor-league start for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday and had a decent performance, allowing an earned run on four hits while walking one and striking out four in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Assad has yet to make his 2025 debut due to an oblique strain that he suffered in spring training, but he's getting closer to being able to rejoin Chicago's starting rotation. The Cubs could certainly use the help after losing left-hander Justin Steele (elbow) for the entire season. In his transition from reliever to full-time starter in 2024, Assad held his own and went 7-6 with a 3.73 ERA (4.64 FIP) and 1.40 WHIP with 124 strikeouts and 63 walks in 147 innings over 29 starts. He's off to a bad start in 2025 due to his injury and he also doesn't have much strikeout upside, but he can serve as a valuable innings eater in NL-only formats.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Friday that right-hander Javier Assad (oblique) was scheduled to throw two innings in an extended spring training game in Arizona and will likely need a couple more outings there before he's cleared to go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Once Assad starts a minor-league rehab assignment, he'll only be a few outings away from potentially being cleared to return from the injured list. However, there's no guarantee that the 27-year-old will be given a starting-rotation spot once he's back. Assad was serviceable in his transition from a bullpen role to a starting role for the Cubbies in 2024, but his lack of strikeout ability caps his fantasy upside as a starter. He went 7-6 a year ago with a career-high 3.73 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with 124 punchouts and 63 walks in 147 innings over 29 starts.
Javier Assad Officially Placed On 15-Day Injured List
The Chicago Cubs officially placed right-hander Javier Assad (oblique) on the 15-day injured list on Monday before their season-opening, two-game series in Tokyo, Japan, against the Los Angeles Dodgers this week. In additional moves, the Cubs optioned right-hander Daniel Palencia to Triple-A Iowa and designated right-hander Keegan Thompson for assignment. Assad suffered a mild left-oblique strain early in spring training and didn't have enough time to get ready for the Tokyo Series, but he could be ready in early April if he can avoid any setbacks as he gets ramped back up. However, by that time, the Cubs could just use him as a long reliever out of the bullpen. The 27-year-old went 7-6 with a 3.73 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 124 strikeouts in 147 innings over 29 starts in 2024 in his first full year as a starter. Assad could take another step forward in 2025, but his lack of strikeout upside doesn't make him very attractive in mixed fantasy leagues.
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad (oblique) will not be ready by Opening Day. Assad was diagnosed with a mild oblique strain in February. He has begun playing catch and is targeting a return to the mound sometime next week. However, it appears the 27-year-old will be unable to ramp up for Opening Day. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Colin Rea to be one of the favorites to earn a spot in the rotation. Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown could also see starting opportunities if they perform well during spring training. Last season Assad logged 147 innings across 29 starts and held a 3.73 ERA with a 1.40 WHIP. He tallied just 124 punchouts and generated a high 4.97 xERA. Earlier in the offseason, the Cubs signed Rea to a one-year deal and should be viewed as the top candidate to replace Assad as he started 27 games last summer for Milwaukee. Rea could be a viable target in NL-only formats if he is given starts at the beginning of the season.
Chicago Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (oblique), who was the presumed fifth starter for much of the winter, has been sidelined in camp with a left-oblique strain and could need to open the 2025 regular season on the injured list, according to The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma. Assad could start throwing off the mound this week, but there might not be any reason to push him to make the Opening Day roster if the Cubs like what they see from right-handers Ben Brown and Colin Rea and lefty Jordan Wicks. Assad, 27, was successful in his transition from a reliever to a starter last year, going 7-6 with a 3.73 ERA (4.64 FIP) and 1.40 WHIP with a career-high 124 strikeouts and 63 walks in 147 innings over 29 starts. However, the spike in innings in a starting role could still be taking its toll, and his lack of swing-and-miss stuff gives him a low fantasy floor in fantasy leagues.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Thursday that right-hander Javier Assad (oblique) has resumed playing catch at spring training. Assad is recovering from a mild oblique strain that he suffered early in spring training. As long as the 27-year-old doesn't suffer another setback as he begins to ramp up, he should have enough time to get fully stretched out for the start of the 2025 regular season. The injury certainly hasn't helped his chances of winning the team's final starting rotation spot, though, and he'll be competing primarily with Colin Rea, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown in spring training. Assad had a career-high workload in 2024 in his transition from the bullpen to a full-time starter, but his velocity was predictably down and he struck out just 7.59 hitters per nine innings. He had a 5.82 ERA in his final six starts and will merely be a matchup-based streamer in deeper fantasy leagues if he wins a rotation spot.
Javier Assad
• SP
•
Cubs
