Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner is not in the team's starting lineup for Monday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the visiting Texas Rangers. Jon Berti will get the start at the keystone and will hit eighth for the Cubs against Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. Hoerner has gotten off to a strong start in 2025 for fantasy managers, hitting .361 (13-for-36) with a double, six RBI, six stolen bases and seven runs scored in 40 trips to the plate over nine games played. The 27-year-old sacrifices power for a contact-oriented approach while also being fleet of foot on the basepaths. Expect him to be back in there on Tuesday in Chicago. Berti has started his first year with the Cubs going 4-for-12 with two stolen bases in just four games played as a utility infielder. He is hitless in just two career at-bats against Eovaldi.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner turned in a productive outing in a 10-2 win over the Athletics on Wednesday. Hoerner went 1-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, a walk, and two steals to help propel Chicago to the win. The veteran infielder is off to a fast start in 2025, picking up eight hits, three RBI, and three steals through his first 24 at-bats. Hoerner doesn't hit for much power but he has shown to be an excellent source of stolen bases in fantasy with 97 steals since the start of the 2022 season. He will look to stay hot moving forward.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs continue to be cautious with Hoerner who missed the opening two games in Tokyo while recovering from flexor tendon surgery. He went 0-for-4 on Friday, so the Cubs will give Hoerner a breather here. Jon Berti will cover second base and bat ninth versus right-hander Brandon Pfaadt on Saturday. Berti has good speed, but probably won't see enough playing time to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic notes that Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (forearm) is expected to be ready for Opening Day. Hoerner has been recovering from surgery for his flexor tendon since last October, holding him to only two Cactus League appearances this spring. The 27-year-old played in his first outings over the weekend, going 1-for-6 with a single. He's hit just 26 home runs over the prior three seasons combined but has been an excellent source of batting average and steals when healthy. Additionally, he's struck out 12.1% of the time or less since 2022. The former first-round pick hit 35 doubles in 2024 -- the highest mark of his six-year career.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (forearm) is starting at second base and is batting second in the team's Cactus League game on Friday against the San Diego Padres. Hoerner continues to recover from flexor-tendon surgery last October, which kept him from appearing in the season-opening, two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hoerner will be in the lineup on Friday, but it remains to be seen if he'll be ready for the U.S. opener next Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. When fully healthy, the 27-year-old will resume duties as the team's regular second baseman in 2025 after the former first-rounder hit .273/.335/.373 with seven home runs, 48 RBI and 31 steals in 151 games in 2024 in his sixth big-league season. He's not flashy by any means and doesn't have much power, but he's consistent, puts the ball in play and has averaged 31 steals the last three years.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (forearm) will not make the trip to Japan with the team to open the 2025 season on March 18 and 19 in Tokyo against the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers. Hoerner is still recovering from flexor-tendon surgery on his right forearm last October and will stay back in Arizona to continue his rehab. The 27-year-old has been hitting in the batting cages at camp and is doing a throwing program, but he hasn't made his Cactus League debut as the team plays it safe with him early in spring training. Barring a setback, Hoerner still has a good shot being ready for the March 27 game against the Arizona Diamondback. With Hoerner out for the two-game series against the Cubs in Japan, the most likely options to fill in at the keystone for that two-game series are Vidal Brujan and Jon Berti.

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.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner put together a solid three-hit performance during Thursday's game against the San Francisco Giants. Hoerner kicked off the scoring with a two-run blast off right-hander Jordan Hicks in the third inning to give Chicago a 2-0 lead. The 27-year-old went 3-for-5 at the plate with a homer and a stolen base in the win. Hoerner is off to a slow start to the season but the hand injury could've contributed to that. We'll see if he can turn it around in the second half.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing the previous six games with a hamstring injury and made an immediate impact versus the Atlanta Braves. Despite only having one hit in five at-bats, it was a huge one in the bottom of the 10th inning to walk it off for the Cubbies with a RBI single. Hoerner is a strong middle infield option with ability to help across the board with a .267 batting average accompanied by two homers, 13 RBI and five stolen bases. He will look to keep things going in Game 2 of Chicago's series versus the Atlanta Braves and Max Fried on Wednesday.

Chicago Cubs middle infielder Nico Hoerner (hamstring) is back at second base and is hitting sixth in the order on Tuesday against the visiting Atlanta Braves and right-hander Charlie Morton in the series opener. The Cubs now have their starting middle infield back with Hoerner at the keystone and Dansby Swanson at shortstop. This will be Hoerner's first start in more than a week while he dealt with a left-hamstring injury. Hoerner, 27, has been solid at the plate this year and has gone 13-for-45 (.289) with two home runs and five RBI in his 12 games played in May before he suffered a hamstring injury. He might have to knock off a little rust after taking a week off, but fantasy managers in redraft leagues will want to get him back into their lineups. He's hitting .333 in nine career at-bats against Morton.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This marks the sixth straight game that Hoerner has missed due to tightness in his hamstring. The 27-year-old is considered day-to-day, but it's a bit surprising Hoerner hasn't been placed on the injured list yet. In the meantime, Nick Madrigal will bat seventh and cover second base on Sunday.

Chicago Cubs second baseman/shortstop Nico Hoerner (hamstring) remains out of the Cubs starting lineup on Saturday for the fifth consecutive game. The Cubs are hopeful that their gold glove infielder will not have to spend a stint on the injured list; however, manager Craig Counsell expressed on Friday that he may have to do so if this injury continues to linger. As a result, infielder Miles Mastrobuoni will make his fifth consecutive start at the keystone this afternoon as the Cubs continue a four-game set with their division rival Pittsburgh Pirates and will bat in the eight-hole. The 28-year-old has posted a poor .133/.278/.133 slash line during this stretch, and is best to fade in DFS.

Chicago Cubs middle infielder Nico Hoerner (hamstring) was still feeling his hamstring issue on Thursday and was held out of the lineup again in Friday's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He's still being considered day-to-day and is hoping to avoid a stint on the injured list. Manager Craig Counsell said, "If it's still lingering, then it's on the table." Hoerner has now missed four straight games and could land on the IL if he's unable to play in either of the final two games in the weekend series against Pittsburgh. Regular shortstop Dansby Swanson (knee) is also on the IL, so the Cubs have been getting by with Miles Mastrobuoni at shortstop and Nick Madrigal at second base. Hoerner, a former first-rounder in 2018 out of Stanford, deserves to be stashed in most fantasy leagues if he is placed on the IL. He's currently hitting .269/.361/.391 with two homers, 12 RBI and five steals in 2024.

Chicago Cubs middle infielder Nico Hoerner (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Miles Mastrobuoni will get another start at the 6 and will hit sixth, with Nick Madrigal once again manning the keystone and hitting seventh against baseball's top prospect in right-hander Paul Skenes. Dansby Swanson (knee) is on the injured list with knee soreness, so Chicago's middle infield is thinned out at this time. The 27-year-old Hoerner is day-to-day with left-hamstring tightness but has now missed his fourth straight game. If he's unable to rejoin the Cubs' lineup this weekend, he could join Swanson on the IL. DFS gamers can probably find better options at shortstop and second base than Mastrobuoni and Madrigal, who are both light-hitting utility infielders.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (hamstring), who remained out of Thursday's lineup, went through a more regular pregame workout before the game against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Craig Counsell said. If all goes well, the hope is that Hoerner will be back in Chicago's lineup for the second game of the series against Pittsburgh on Friday. The 27-year-old contact-hitting infielder appears to be on the cusp of a return from tightness in his left hamstring after being out of the lineup in each of the past three contests, so fantasy managers should expect to get him back without needing a trip to the injured list. In 41 games (156 at-bats) before picking up the injury, Hoerner slashed .269/.361/.391 with two home runs, 11 doubles, 12 RBI, 25 runs scored, and five stolen bases as the Cubs' primary leadoff hitter.

Chicago Cubs middle infielder Nico Hoerner (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Hoerner will miss a third straight game after being scratched from Tuesday's contest versus the Atlanta Braves with left-hamstring tightness. The 27-year-old remains day-to-day, but if his absence extends into the weekend against Pittsburgh, the Cubbies may have to consider placing him on the injured list. It would be bad news for Chicago's middle infield, as Dansby Swanson (knee) is already on the shelf with knee soreness. Miles Mastrobuoni is making another start at the 6 on Thursday and is hitting eighth against Pirates rookie right-hander Jared Jones. Both Mastrobuoni and Nick Madrigal, who is playing second, are weak DFS plays as middle infielders.