Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner underwent successful right flexor tendon surgery on Oct. 11, the team announced Monday.
The flexor tendons run from muscles in the forearm to bones in the fingers. Dr. Keith Meister, an orthopedic surgeon especially known for his work on pitchers’ elbows, performed the procedure.
The Cubs did not provide information on the timeline of Hoerner’s injury or expected recovery and rehab.
Hoerner, in the first year of a three-year contract extension worth $35 million, led the team in stolen bases this season with 31 and had the second-best batting average (.273) among qualified Cubs hitters . September was his best month at the plate, as he complemented a .355 average with seven doubles and a pair of home runs.
Hoerner went into the season hoping to showcase some more power on offense, but as he hit through a couple injuries and pitcher-friendly conditions at Wrigley, that goal didn’t come to fruition. He managed to avoid the injured list despite a hamstring issue that sidelined him for a week in May and a fractured right hand that kept him out of the starting lineup for four games in June.
Hoerner, who won his first Gold Glove in 2023, wasn’t a finalist for the award this season, but his steady presence up the middle was again a highlight of his 2024 campaign.
The Cubs will have a better sense of Hoerner’s timeline as they monitor his recovery in the coming months. The roster could evolve in that time, but the Cubs already have versatile infield depth that they could lean on if Hoerner is limited going into spring training.
By the end of the season, rookie Luis Vázquez and left-handed hitting Miles Mastrobuoni were the middle infielders on the Cubs bench. And 2023 first-round pick Matt Shaw, a non-roster invitee to big-league camp last year, finished the season with a strong showing in Triple-A.