Getty Chicago Cubs pitcher Javier Assad It’s been a “one step forward, two steps back” kind of rehab for Chicago Cubs pitcher Javier Assad .   A bit of a revelation as a full-time member of the rotation in 2024, the 27-year-old right-hander was expected to fill one of the five starting spots again this season, until he was ruled out for opening day due to a strained left oblique. Assad was thought to be progressing toward a return in late April or early May, but on Tuesday, he had a setback.