Nico Hoerner DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said on Monday that infielder Nico Hoerner (elbow) is "in a great spot" in his recovery from flexor-tendon surgery last October. The Cubs aren't putting a timetable on Hoerner's return, but Counsell also said, "He's not gonna miss much (time), if at all. That's what I'd say. I'm confident in that. The news has been all good so far and that's really encouraging." The 27-year-old has been throwing and hitting with the official start of spring training right around the corner. The Cubs almost certainly will hold Hoerner back from playing in Cactus League games right away, but barring a setback this spring, he should have a shot to be ready for Opening Day in late March. While Hoerner has averaged 31 steals over the last three years and makes elite contact, he lacks power and had a career-low 27.7% hard-hit rate in 2024. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 25 fantasy second baseman.

According to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (elbow) remains uncertain for Opening Day. Montemurro noted that the second baseman had not started a throwing program yet and did not have an answer regarding his availability for the start of the season when asked. Hoerner was battling a flex tendon injury throughout the 2024 season and underwent surgery to repair this in October. Last season, the 27-year-old made 151 starts and posted a .273/.335/.373 line with seven home runs and 31 stolen bases. He showed a strong eye at the plate with a 10.3% K rate but had minimal power upside as he generated an underwhelming 27.6% hard-hit rate. When healthy, Hoerner will be deployed as the clear top option at the keystone for the Cubs.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Chicago Cubs are less likely to seek a trade partner for second baseman Nico Hoerner. Rosenthal noted that the Cubs needed to move an infielder to create a path for their top prospect, Matt Shaw, and that was accomplished by including Isaac Parades in the package to bring in Kyle Tucker. With Parades out of the lineup, the Cubs will likely prefer to keep Hoerner for the time being. Last season, the 27-year-old held a .273/.335/.373 line with seven home runs and 31 stolen bases. Hoerner opened the season as the leadoff hitter but was eventually pushed down to the bottom half of the lineup. Hoerner also underwent flexor tendon surgery in October but was not given a definite timeline and could miss some time early on. Fantasy managers should monitor his status during Spring Training. If he returns to his spot at the top of the order, Hoerner does have a path to being a reliable top-12 second baseman in category formats, given his elite speed and batting average. He could also be in line to tally a career-high in runs batting in front of Kyle Tucker.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (elbow) underwent right flexor-tendon surgery on Oct. 11, the team announced on Monday. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister, and there is no timetable for Hoerner's return, although he should be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, barring a setback. The 27-year-old was Chicago's starting second baseman all year in 2024 in his sixth season in the big leagues. In a career-high 151 games played, Hoerner slashed .273/.335/.373 with a .708 OPS, seven home runs, 48 RBI, 31 stolen bases and 86 runs scored in his 641 plate appearances. He makes plenty of contact, but it's inconsistent hard contact with little power. As long as Hoerner is healthy in 2025, he'll be a solid source of average, steals and runs scored for fantasy managers.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI in Wednesday's 13-4 win over the Reds. He also swiped his 17th bag of the season, the third stolen base in his last four games. After stealing 43 bases in 2023, the 27-year-old is on pace for just 27 this year, which has clearly been a disappointment. The gold-glover has a tidy little four-game hit streak going though, so perhaps if he can start getting on base more, then the steals will follow. Nevertheless, you'll continue to start him in season-long fantasy leagues, and he'll bring a .252-4-34-52-17 line into his next contest.