WASHINGTON – The Cubs recently fortified their rotation with the Trade Deadline additions of starters Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. Edward Cabrera – a major trade acquisition from the offseason – is also nearing his return to the starting corps.
While in Kansas City with the Cubs during the last series, Cabrera was able to see Gausman and Holmes make their debuts for the ballclub.
“I know they’re all really good, really good players,” Cabrera said via team translator Fredy Quevedo Jr. “I know they’re going to help us.”
While the Cubs headed to Washington, D.C., to face the Nationals, Cabrera joined Double-A Knoxville to continue his Minor League rehab assignment. Both Cabrera (15-day injured list, left hamstring/adductor strain) and right-handed reliever Daniel Palencia (15-day IL, right flexor strain) pitched for the Smokies on Tuesday on their respective roads back to Chicago.
Here’s everything you need to know:
How did Cabrera perform?
Cabrera spun five no-hit innings for Knoxville and built up to 64 pitches (43 strikes) in the outing, following 55 pitches in his last outing with Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday and 43 pitches for the I-Cubs on July 31. In this latest effort, Cabrera struck out seven and issued one walk before being lifted from the game.
While pitch data was not available for the Double-A outing, Cabrera was sitting around 97-98 mph with his fastball in his previous two efforts while reaching back and touching 99 mph. His last two appearances combined included one hit allowed over nine innings with only one unearned run allowed, along with 15 strikeouts against one walk.
How did Palencia perform?
Making his third Minor League rehab appearance, Palencia struggled with his command. The hard-throwing righty logged 24 pitches (11 strikes) and ended with three walks, one hit batter and one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. Palencia has more walks (six) than strikeouts (three) in 2 1/3 innings so far on this rehab assignment.
What’s next?
Cubs manager Craig Counsell has been consistent with saying that Cabrera will make three Minor League rehab starts at a minimum. Now that the right-hander has reached that point in his comeback, it is possible his next outing will be with the Cubs.
Counsell said before Tuesday’s game against the Nationals that the team would discuss things with Cabrera to weigh whether a fourth rehab start would be beneficial.
“That’s the mode we’re in with everybody,” Counsell said. “There’s no set numbers for any of this stuff. I think we’re going to look at it like that. And we’ve got a lot of healthy guys right now. That’s a good thing.”
If Cabrera does return to the Cubs for his next outing, Sunday against the Cardinals or Monday against the White Sox at Wrigley Field would likely be the earliest landing spots. If a fourth rehab start is in the cards, Cabrera would seemingly be in line for a start during the Cubs’ Aug. 21-23 trip to Seattle.
As for Palencia, Counsell has also avoided putting a firm number on his rehab timeline. The manager has simply reiterated how little Palencia has pitched this season (16 2/3 innings in 19 appearances) due to injuries. That likely points to a longer runway to rejoining the Major League bullpen, especially given the reliever’s command issues so far in this comeback bid.
What else?
Cabrera’s first tour with the Cubs to date can be divided into two seven-start segments. He had a 3.27 ERA in his first seven outings (41 1/3 innings), followed by a 7.55 ERA in his next seven (31 innings).
That second period included some time missed due to a blister that developed on the middle finger of his pitching hand. After Cabrera returned from that IL stint in early June, he saw a noticeable jump in fastball velocity (averaging north of 97 mph) compared to earlier in the year, leading up to the leg setback.
The Cubs would love to see the version of Cabrera who showed up in 2025 for the Marlins, who traded him to the North Siders over the offseason. The hard-throwing righty enjoyed his best season in the Majors, logging a 3.53 ERA with 150 strikeouts against 48 walks in 137 2/3 innings.
Right now, Chicago’s rotation includes Gausman, Holmes, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and David Peterson. Colin Rea and Javier Assad offer additional options, but are currently in the bullpen. So, at the moment, the Cubs’ starting depth is solid, which allows the team to avoid rushing Cabrera back into the mix.