You never want to see your leadoff hitter leave a game before his second at-bat, but that is exactly what happened to the Cubs on Friday. They are already missing key pitchers like Cade Horton and Justin Steele to injury, and Friday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks just added another massive name to that list.

During the game, second baseman Nico Hoerner was abruptly pulled from the game. The Cubs are currently battling for first place in the NL Central, but this latest injury scare has fans hitting the panic button.

“Nico Hoerner is out of the game. Getting pinch hit for by Matt Shaw. Will update when there is more info,” MLB insider Jesse Rogers shared via X.

Hoerner looked fine at the start. In the bottom of the first inning, he hit a leadoff double off Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen. Moments later, he scored on a two-run single by Michael Busch to give Chicago an early lead. It was at that moment that the camera focused on Hoerner’s face, who was seen in pain.

When Hoerner’s spot in the lineup came up in the second inning, rookie Matt Shaw walked to the plate to pinch-hit instead. The Cubs later confirmed that Hoerner was pulled due to “left-sided neck tightness.” The team is hoping it is just a minor strain.

Now, the Cubs’ missing Nico Hoerner means a lot. He’s currently hitting .297 with four home runs and 26 RBIs in just 32 games. Moreover, he was just the fourth player since 1994 to hit at least 25 RBIs and 35 hits in the first 30 games of a season for the Cubs. Quite expectedly, the Cubs offered him a $141 million deal for the next six years in March.

And the worst part was that, amid the thinning pitching staff due to injuries, Hoerner led the offense this season and kept the team at an impressive 19-12 record. Names like Horton, Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, and a few more were all sidelined with injuries.

Right now, the Cubs’ team ERA ranks 12th (4.01), but they are ranked fourth in terms of total runs scored (169).

So, if Hoerner gets sidelined for a while, who will lead the offense and complement their battered pitching staff? We wonder, and so do the fans.

The Cubs’ nation is left clueless

Where will the Cubs’ expanding injury list stop?

“MAKE IT STOP PLEAAAASE,” one fan said. Steele, Porter Hodge, and Tyler Austin are all on the 60-day injury list. Then there are more than 6 names on the 15-day injury list. So, the fans are just praying for no more injuries. The pitching staff is already battered, and a few more names from the offense after Hoerner means the same for the lineup as well.

“When will this end??? Come on,” added another.

“This team and injuries early is insane,” one user remarked. It’s just 31 games into this season. The biggest blow came earlier this week when the team announced that star pitcher Justin Steele suffered a setback. While rehabbing from an elbow surgery, he suffered a flexor strain and is now shut down at least till the All-Star break. So, it’s just the early leg of the 2026 season, and most of the players are down with injuries.

“That’s all this team needs is MORE injuries,” a sarcastic response from a fan. The team is yet to get the best out of names like Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Bregman is hitting .258, and Crow-Armstrong is hitting .241. Just when the Cubs require a better impact bat, what they are getting is injuries.

“Bubble wrap the team, I’m so serious,” another fan added. We wish that could have been done. As of now, 11 of their players are on the IL. Based on that, they surely need a more careful approach. Maybe the clubhouse would now come up with a tag “HANDLE WITH CARE.”

Nevertheless, all eyes will now be on Hoerner. A week-long IL and the Cubs’ offense would go for a toss.