CHICAGO – The goal behind the Cubs’ swinging a blockbuster trade to land Edward Cabrera from the Marlins over the offseason was to add an impact starter to the rotation. Cabrera now has an opportunity to essentially act like a big-ticket acquisition down the stretch.
On Friday night, Cabrera began a Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa, continuing his comeback from the left adductor/hamstring strain sustained on June 23 against the Mets. While Chicago is on the hunt for rotation help before Monday’s 5 p.m. CT Trade Deadline, the front office is keeping Cabrera’s return in mind as well.
Here’s everything you need to know about Cabrera’s rehab situation:
How did Cabrera perform?
Cabrera threw 43 pitches (26 strikes) and was charged with three runs across 1 2/3 innings against Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He left the game trailing 1-0, but lefty reliever Ty Blach allowed both inherited runners to score.
Cabrera allowed two hits and two walks while notching three strikeouts. He mixed in all five of his pitches and showcased impressive velocity, sitting 97.7 mph with his sinker and topping out at 98.8 mph. He has thrown only six pitches faster in the Majors this season.
What’s next?
Manager Craig Counsell has noted that Cabrera will likely need at least three Minor League rehab outings to properly build up his workload prior to being activated. The ideal ramp would get the righty in a position to log 80-plus pitches by the time he comes off the shelf.
Expect the Cubs to have Cabrera stay in a regular rotation-type schedule over the next couple weeks while trying to find the best landing spot on the calendar for his return. If Counsell’s prediction of three outings holds true, Cabrera might be able to rejoin the Cubs at some point during the Aug. 14-19 homestand against the Cardinals and White Sox.
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 appearances (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. 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.
And while Chicago’s front office searches for rotation help and plans for Cabrera’s comeback, the rest of the rotation has been doing its part for the team.
Shota Imanaga’s quality start on Friday against the Yankees gave him a 2.09 ERA in his past nine starts. Matthew Boyd has a 1.93 ERA over his past seven games since returning from left knee surgery. David Peterson has a 1.56 ERA in his past three outings, Javier Assad has posted a 2.31 ERA since the start of May and Colin Rea has a 3.34 ERA in his past seven.