It came as somewhat of a surprise when the Cubs announced on Oct. 21 that second baseman Nico Hoerner underwent flexor tendon surgery in his right forearm 10 days prior. Hoerner appeared in a career-high 151 games last season, which also ranked third on the team.

But the procedure addressed an ailment that affected Hoerner throughout the 2024 season.

“I just couldn’t throw the ball, really, to be honest,” Hoerner said at Cubs Convention on Saturday. “I was fortunate to be playing second base, and obviously that allows you to make it work. But I really would rather be the full version of myself and not just have to make it work and really be the complete defender that I am.”

Hoerner won the NL Gold Glove Award at second base in 2023, and though he was not a finalist in ‘24, he still graded out favorably in metrics such as Outs Above Average (10). That ranked fourth among all second baseman.

Hoerner’s average throw in the field was 75.7 mph, however — a career low and a notable decrease from 2023 (79.1 mph).

“It’s a throwing injury, obviously most common with pitchers in the rehab process,” Hoerner said. “It is all towards throwing and impacts the swing and grip strength and just the ability to use your right arm. But throwing is by far the biggest priority and thing I’m looking forward to being able to do again.”

The big question now becomes: Will Hoerner be ready for Opening Day? It’s particularly tricky this spring for the Cubs, as they start the season 10 days earlier with the series in Tokyo. 

On the Baseball Operations panel Saturday morning at Cubs Convention, Cubs GM Carter Hawkins gave an impassioned defense of Hoerner’s recovery in response to a fan’s question.

“When you talk to him, ask him if he’s hurt,” Hawkins said. “’Cause look, I think Nico is about as tough of a guy as we have in the organization — if not the toughest. You watch the athleticism of him last night in some of those highlights. Just unbelievable. 

“He’s gonna do everything he possibly can to be ready for Opening Day. We got a lot of great depth that’s gonna be able to help us out if that’s not the case but I think if you went and told him, ‘what are you gonna do since you’re not gonna be here for Opening Day?’ He’s gonna stare right through you, my man.”

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But that wasn’t quite how it went a few hours later when Hoerner held a scrum with Chicago media.

Hoerner said he’s happy with the progress he’s made in his recovery; the procedure was the first surgery he underwent in his career. But he has not started throwing or hitting this offseason. To that end, the 27-year-old was understandably non-committal about his status for Opening Day at this stage in the winter.

The Cubs open the regular season on March 18 against the Dodgers in Japan. Their stateside opener is March 27 against the D-backs in Arizona, and their home opener is April 4 against the Padres.

“When you get the surgery, it’s hard not to from Day 1 start projecting out,” Hoerner said. “I think I’d do myself and the team a bit of a disservice if I rush this process in any way. I think it is kind of in my nature to push towards that direction. But … effort doesn’t really heal your tendons. Obviously, there’s stuff within that, but patience is a huge part of it too. 

“All that to be said, just working backwards from Opening Day, you take playing as many games in the season as possible into consideration. It’s obviously a huge source of motivation — both for myself and for the team — making sure that I’m in a place not only just to get back to being able to play, but actually being able to be myself. We’ll go from there. I don’t have an exact answer on that yet.”

Hoerner put together a solid 2024 season offensively, posting a 101 OPS+ (1 percent above league average) while hitting .273 with a .335 on-base percentage. That includes an uptick in his production in the second half (.297/.335/.407 in 62 games) compared to before the All-Star break (.256/.336/.348 in 89 games).

“My right arm wasn’t where it usually is, but I finished the year,” he said. “The second half, I produced at a pretty high level and even towards the end of the year. The results don’t always reflect how I’m feeling, but I was proud of being able to put that together when I wasn’t feeling my best.”

[WATCH: Hoerner recaps his offseason and provides a health update]

Hoerner has an experience he could lean back on in his preparation for the 2025 season. He reflected on the 2018 campaign, when he had a UCL injury in his left elbow. He did not undergo surgery but received a PRP shot, and then had around two weeks to prepare for the Arizona Fall League.

“The most confidence I’ve had as a hitter was that 2018 Fall League,” Hoerner said. “And it was a time that I really feel like, for my own confidence, put me in a place where I knew I was on the track to be a good big leaguer and playing professional baseball really for the first time. 

“That gives me a lot of confidence that I don’t need three or four months to get ready for a season. Obviously, I’d prefer to be in full health and be able to build up however I want. But my confidence in preparing for the year, that experience definitely helps me a lot with that.”