How injuries to young starters affect Cubs' future pitching plans

Back in April, the hype around the Cubs rotation surrounded its newcomers. Lefty Shota Imanaga was off to a historic start, rookie Jordan Wicks had made the Opening Day roster, and rookie Ben Brown had stepped up when Justin Steele was hurt on Opening Day.

With less than six weeks left in the regular season, Imanaga is the only one of the three who has made a full slate of appearances. Most of Wicks’ and Brown's seasons have been wiped out by injury.

While Brown, waiting on a “benign area of concern” on the left side of his neck to dissipate, remains shut down from throwing, Wicks (strained right oblique) is at least progressing toward a return from the 60-day IL.

He made his third rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, throwing 53 pitches in four shutout innings.

“Pitched well, last night made definite steps forward,” manager Craig Counsell said before the Cubs’ game Wednesday against the Tigers, “and I'm sure he feels good about it.”

The Cubs plan to have Wicks throw at least one more rehab game. Counsell confirmed that the team would like to get Wicks built up to the point where he’d be available to start. While Counsell likely wouldn’t shift to a traditional six-man rotation, he could go to a six-day rotation using off-days and spots starts, as he did to begin the season.

“We've definitely lost innings of development, for sure,” Counsell said of Wicks’ season. “And he's lost time on the mound proving himself. And some other guys have run with that opportunity a little bit, namely Javi Assad.”

After holding the Tigers to one run Tuesday in 5 ⅔ innings, Assad has the same ERA as Imanaga (3.11). And veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks has stabilized his season, allowing three runs or fewer in each of his last three starts.

So, the Cubs are managing without their young starters in a season that’s unlikely to end in a playoff berth.

Injuries to Wicks and Brown – along with top pitching prospect Cade Horton (subscapularis strain), who is out for the year, and Hayden Wesneski (strained right forearm), who is in the bullpen stage of his throwing program in Arizona – affect the team’s pitching landscape for next year.

Bullpen on a high

After struggling earlier in the season, the Cubs’ bullpen is in an impressive streak, posting a major-league best 1.86 ERA since June 27.

It hasn’t been as good in high leverage, recording a 5.48 ERA in such situations in the same span, according to FanGraphs. But that’s still good for No. 13 in MLB, with a relatively young group settling into unfamiliar roles.

This and that

Tigers shortstop Javy Báez made his return to Wrigley Field this week, and Anthony Rizzo’s Yankees are set to play the Cubs at home in a little over two weeks. But there’s a catch. Rizzo is on the 60-day IL with a right forearm fracture. He has begun taking batting practice, but his exact timeline to return is uncertain.

• The Cubs’ series against Detroit this week wraps up a stretch of 14 straight games against interleague opponents.