Porter Hodge: Everything you need to know

The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports. Hodge will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery Tuesday, so the Cubs will stash him away on the 60-day IL and give his 40-man roster spot to Nicky Lopez.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed Tuesday that Hodge (elbow) underwent UCL reconstruction surgery with an internal brace, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports. Though Hodge didn't require a traditional Tommy John surgery to address the right elbow flexor strain he sustained in spring training, Counsell estimated that the 25-year-old will face an expected recovery timeline of 12-to-14 months. With that in mind, Hodge would seem likely to open the 2027 season on the Cubs' injured list, if Chicago elects to tender him a contract over the winter. Hodge showed plenty of promise in his 2024 rookie campaign with a 1.88 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 43 innings, but he fell off badly in 2025 (6.27 ERA, 1.58 WHIP in 33 frames) and finished the season in the minors before going down with the elbow injury in the spring.

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.