Cubs right-hander Javier Assad (strained left oblique) threw 68 pitches in a rehab game with Triple-A Iowa Wednesday, allowing one run and four hits in 4 ⅓ innings. “Very good feedback, pitched very well, very encouraging,” Counsell said.

Perhaps Hoyer's relative inactivity at the July 31 cutoff point compared to other contenders around the league was by design. Horton's rise and southpaw ace Shota Imanaga's return from a lengthy IL stint in late June could be seen as Chicago's reinforcements. And frankly, given their production, it's hard to fault this line of thinking.