Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner is not in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the visiting Texas Rangers. Jon Berti will get the start at the keystone and will hit eighth for the Cubs against Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. Hoerner has gotten off to a strong start in 2025 for fantasy managers, hitting .361 (13-for-36) with a double, six RBI, six stolen bases and seven runs scored in 40 trips to the plate over nine games played. The 27-year-old sacrifices power for a contact-oriented approach while also being fleet of foot on the basepaths. Expect him to be back in there on Tuesday in Chicago. Berti has started his first year with the Cubs going 4-for-12 with two stolen bases in just four games played as a utility infielder. He is hitless in just two career at-bats against Eovaldi.
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner turned in a productive outing in a 10-2 win over the Athletics on Wednesday. Hoerner went 1-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, a walk, and two steals to help propel Chicago to the win. The veteran infielder is off to a fast start in 2025, picking up eight hits, three RBI, and three steals through his first 24 at-bats. Hoerner doesn't hit for much power but he has shown to be an excellent source of stolen bases in fantasy with 97 steals since the start of the 2022 season. He will look to stay hot moving forward.
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs continue to be cautious with Hoerner who missed the opening two games in Tokyo while recovering from flexor tendon surgery. He went 0-for-4 on Friday, so the Cubs will give Hoerner a breather here. Jon Berti will cover second base and bat ninth versus right-hander Brandon Pfaadt on Saturday. Berti has good speed, but probably won't see enough playing time to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.
Patrick Mooney of The Athletic notes that Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (forearm) is expected to be ready for Opening Day. Hoerner has been recovering from surgery for his flexor tendon since last October, holding him to only two Cactus League appearances this spring. The 27-year-old played in his first outings over the weekend, going 1-for-6 with a single. He's hit just 26 home runs over the prior three seasons combined but has been an excellent source of batting average and steals when healthy. Additionally, he's struck out 12.1% of the time or less since 2022. The former first-round pick hit 35 doubles in 2024 -- the highest mark of his six-year career.
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (forearm) is starting at second base and is batting second in the team's Cactus League game on Friday against the San Diego Padres. Hoerner continues to recover from flexor-tendon surgery last October, which kept him from appearing in the season-opening, two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hoerner will be in the lineup on Friday, but it remains to be seen if he'll be ready for the U.S. opener next Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. When fully healthy, the 27-year-old will resume duties as the team's regular second baseman in 2025 after the former first-rounder hit .273/.335/.373 with seven home runs, 48 RBI and 31 steals in 151 games in 2024 in his sixth big-league season. He's not flashy by any means and doesn't have much power, but he's consistent, puts the ball in play and has averaged 31 steals the last three years.
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (forearm) will not make the trip to Japan with the team to open the 2025 season on March 18 and 19 in Tokyo against the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers. Hoerner is still recovering from flexor-tendon surgery on his right forearm last October and will stay back in Arizona to continue his rehab. The 27-year-old has been hitting in the batting cages at camp and is doing a throwing program, but he hasn't made his Cactus League debut as the team plays it safe with him early in spring training. Barring a setback, Hoerner still has a good shot being ready for the March 27 game against the Arizona Diamondback. With Hoerner out for the two-game series against the Cubs in Japan, the most likely options to fill in at the keystone for that two-game series are Vidal Brujan and Jon Berti.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Monday that infielder Nico Hoerner (elbow) is "in a great spot" in his recovery from flexor-tendon surgery last October. The Cubs aren't putting a timetable on Hoerner's return, but Counsell also said, "He's not gonna miss much (time), if at all. That's what I'd say. I'm confident in that. The news has been all good so far and that's really encouraging." The 27-year-old has been throwing and hitting with the official start of spring training right around the corner. The Cubs almost certainly will hold Hoerner back from playing in Cactus League games right away, but barring a setback this spring, he should have a shot to be ready for Opening Day in late March. While Hoerner has averaged 31 steals over the last three years and makes elite contact, he lacks power and had a career-low 27.7% hard-hit rate in 2024. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 25 fantasy second baseman.
According to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (elbow) remains uncertain for Opening Day. Montemurro noted that the second baseman had not started a throwing program yet and did not have an answer regarding his availability for the start of the season when asked. Hoerner was battling a flex tendon injury throughout the 2024 season and underwent surgery to repair this in October. Last season, the 27-year-old made 151 starts and posted a .273/.335/.373 line with seven home runs and 31 stolen bases. He showed a strong eye at the plate with a 10.3% K rate but had minimal power upside as he generated an underwhelming 27.6% hard-hit rate. When healthy, Hoerner will be deployed as the clear top option at the keystone for the Cubs.
Cubs Unlikely To Seek Trade Partner For Nico Hoerner
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Chicago Cubs are less likely to seek a trade partner for second baseman Nico Hoerner. Rosenthal noted that the Cubs needed to move an infielder to create a path for their top prospect, Matt Shaw, and that was accomplished by including Isaac Parades in the package to bring in Kyle Tucker. With Parades out of the lineup, the Cubs will likely prefer to keep Hoerner for the time being. Last season, the 27-year-old held a .273/.335/.373 line with seven home runs and 31 stolen bases. Hoerner opened the season as the leadoff hitter but was eventually pushed down to the bottom half of the lineup. Hoerner also underwent flexor tendon surgery in October but was not given a definite timeline and could miss some time early on. Fantasy managers should monitor his status during Spring Training. If he returns to his spot at the top of the order, Hoerner does have a path to being a reliable top-12 second baseman in category formats, given his elite speed and batting average. He could also be in line to tally a career-high in runs batting in front of Kyle Tucker.
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (elbow) underwent right flexor-tendon surgery on Oct. 11, the team announced on Monday. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister, and there is no timetable for Hoerner's return, although he should be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, barring a setback. The 27-year-old was Chicago's starting second baseman all year in 2024 in his sixth season in the big leagues. In a career-high 151 games played, Hoerner slashed .273/.335/.373 with a .708 OPS, seven home runs, 48 RBI, 31 stolen bases and 86 runs scored in his 641 plate appearances. He makes plenty of contact, but it's inconsistent hard contact with little power. As long as Hoerner is healthy in 2025, he'll be a solid source of average, steals and runs scored for fantasy managers.
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