Porter Hodge: Everything you need to know

Hodge is slated to undergo UCL surgery on his right elbow and will miss the rest of the 2026 season, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports. Hodge opened the season on the 15-day IL due to a right flexor strain that he sustained during spring training. Initially, there was hope he would be able to play catch by the beginning of April, but it appears Hodge's injury is severe enough for him to go under the knife. Given the nature of the issue, it wouldn't be surprising to see Hodge miss the opening portion of the 2027 season.

The Cubs placed Hodge (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday. Hodge came down with a right flexor strain in early March. He is aiming to play catch around April 1, but he'll have been shut down nearly a month by that time, so the buildup will take a while.

The Cubs hope Hodge (elbow) is ready to play catch around April 1, MLB.com reports. Hodge was diagnosed with a right flexor strain in early March. Given that he will be shut down for nearly a month, at minimum, it's going to take a while for him to get built back up. Hodge posted a 6.27 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over his 36 appearances with the Cubs in 2025.