Cubs right-hander Hunter Harvey has hit a setback in his recovery from triceps inflammation, as an MRI revealed a stress reaction in his triceps area. Manager Craig Counsell shared the details with reporters (including Gordon Edes of the Chicago Sun-Times) yesterday, including the news that Harvey will be out of action for at least another month.
Harvey’s last game was on April 8, so he has already missed over a month of action. His current placement on the 15-day injured list began on April 9, and it seems quite likely the Cubs will shift Harvey to the 60-day IL whenever they need to open a 40-man roster spot. (60-day IL stints are backdated to the start of a player’s initial placement on the 15-day IL.)
It makes for yet another extended absence for a pitcher whose career has unfortunately been defined by injuries. Harvey has tossed 189 innings over 186 games since making his Major League debut in 2019, as a variety of ailments both delayed his arrival in the bigs and then put his career frequently on hold once he finally made it to the Show. In 2025, Harvey tossed only 10 2/3 innings with the Royals due to both a teres major strain and then a Grade 2 adductor strain.
When he has been able to pitch, Harvey has delivered solid results — a 3.07 ERA, 27.4% strikeout rate, and 6.5% walk rate over 161 1/3 innings with the Nationals and Royals from 2022-25. The Cubs took a flier on Harvey by signing him to a one-year, $6.5MM free agent deal last winter, but he posted only a 6.75 ERA over four innings and appearances before his triceps issue arose. There’s still time for Harvey to make good on that investment, even if mid-June seems like his earliest possible return date.
Ethan Roberts (finger laceration) was activated from Chicago’s 15-day IL yesterday, giving the Cubs’ pitching staff some help amidst an incredible run of injuries. Even with Roberts back, the Cubs still have Harvey and eight other pitchers still on either the 15-day or 60-day IL. The most noteworthy element of Wrigleyville’s injury plague is that it hasn’t stopped the Cubs from posting baseball’s best record, as Chicago takes a 27-12 record and a ten-game winning streak into today’s contest with the Rangers.
