Injury May Cost Cubs Prospect Way More Than World Baseball Classic
Jonathon Long entered spring training, riding high after he was named 2025 Chicago Cubs Minor League Player of the Year. The 24-year-old prospect had a stellar season at Triple-A and while it may have been a long shot to make the Opening Day roster in 2026, Long was in the mix to compete for a potential bench role this spring training. The calculous has changed for the Cubs in recent days because of an injury, which may have opened the door for Long to win a roster spot, but unfortunately he’s dealing with an issue of his own.
Long has been out of Cactus League action for the Cubs since Saturday, when the first baseman had a collision with Mark Canha. Long had to extend his left arm to grab a wide throw from Jefferson Rojas. The momentum took Long directly into Canha’s path down the first base line, resulting in a sprained elbow for the 2023 draft pick.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Wednesday that Long’s recovery was going slower than the team had hoped for. Before Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels, Long confirmed that he would no longer be participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for Chinese Taipei.
“You’ve got to look at it like, what’s the best long-term solution? Obviously, in the short term, I want to go. But we’re more inclined to push through something that we shouldn’t push through with such a strict timeline.” -Jonathon Long
The Cubs still have not determined a timeframe for Long’s return to spring training games.
This could not have come at a worse time for Long. Not only does the elbow sprain mean he’s withdrawing from this year’s World Baseball Classic, but it may ultimately cost him a real shot at winning an Opening Day spot on the 26-man roster.
The Cubs announced earlier this week that veteran hitter Tyler Austin will be sidelined for months after undergoing knee surgery. Austin, who signed a one-year deal in free agency, had an inside track to be one of the four bench players on the team to begin the season. Realistically, there are only two spots up for grabs as one of the bench roles goes to the backup catcher and then the other is Matt Shaw.
Austin was projected to get plate appearances against left-handed pitchers in 2026, mainly platooning at DH with Moises Ballesteros, potentially starting in left field for Ian Happ and sparingly giving Michael Busch rest at first base. Long could certainly fill that role, but the elbow injury is definitely putting him behind the competition in spring training.
In 2025, Long played in 140 games at Triple-A, where he posted a 131 wRC+ with a slash line of .305/.404/.479. The right-handed hitter had 20 home runs and 91 RBI.
Hopefully Long will be able to get back on the field sooner rather than later and get back into the mix, competing for a bench role. At least you want your prospects making decisions harder for the team out of spring training and it sucks that right now it’s out of Long’s hands because of the elbow injury.