Cubs Prospect Ed Howard Will Miss Remainder of Season Due to Hip Injury

In news that was overshadowed by the debuts of Christopher Morel and Brandon Hughes, the Cubs confirmed Tuesday that shortstop prospect Ed Howard will miss the remainder of 2022 due to a hip injury. Howard went down hard on May 10 after landing awkwardly on the first base bag when he tried to avoid a tag, collapsing in obvious pain and grasping at his left hip.

The Cubs’ top draft pick in 2020 out of Mount Carmel High, Howard got off to a slow start in his first season of professional baseball last season before coming around late. He appeared to be continuing that growth this season at South Bend, improving his walk and strikeout rates over the course of 93 plate appearances, but further development will obviously have to wait.

Cubs farm director Jared Banner told NBC Sports Chicago’s Gordon Wittenmyer that Howard is expected to make a full recovery, though the team hasn’t revealed much about the injury or timeline for recovery. If there’s a positive spin to this, it’s that Howard just turned 20 in January and still has plenty of time to continue developing over the next few years.

It’s even possible that rest and rehab allow him to take a big step forward physically, though that’s little consolation for what is now a lost season.