Good morning, Chicago.

Cade Horton understands the Cubs' big-picture vision for him this season.

They are being deliberate in his workload and usage with more than seven weeks left in the regular season and, the team hopes, the playoffs to follow. The 23-year-old rookie entered Wednesday having thrown more innings this year between Triple A and the majors than in any season in his career, while already at 75 more innings than he tossed in 2024, which ended prematurely from a shoulder injury.

As he prepared for Wednesday's start, Horton knew that getting to this point of the season, and beyond, would require him to continue to figure out what he needs to do between starts for his run of success to roll on.

"It's all about just getting into a good routine and sticking with that, " Horton told the Tribune. "Routines can be monotonous, and it's the dirty work. It's not fun, it's not sexy. But it's the work you have to put in to ultimately be successful."

Horton extended his scoreless innings streak to 28 1/3 in the Cubs' 4-1 win over the Blue Jays. After his no-hit bid ended with Andrés Giménez's one-out single in the sixth, Horton's night was done after walking Bo Bichette with two outs in the inning. The two outs he recorded in the sixth don't count toward his streak, per MLB.

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