The Chicago Cubs shuffled their bullpen before Friday’s doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, putting right-hander Edward Cabrera on the family medical emergency list and bringing up Gavin Hollowell to take his spot.
Cabrera’s move means he is finished for the regular season. Players on the family medical emergency list have to sit out at least three days and no more than seven, and Cabrera has already been working out of the bullpen since returning from the injured list earlier in September.
It’s been a rough year for Cabrera from start to finish. He dealt with a blister issue multiple times, which led to two trips to the injured list, and then a third stint after a hamstring strain in late June. Even when he was healthy, the results never really turned around, a steep drop from the breakout 2025 season that helped send him from the Miami Marlins to Chicago.
He could technically come back in time for next week’s Wild Card Series, which would currently be on the road against the San Diego Padres, but his performance this season makes it hard to picture him on the playoff roster.
Hollowell gets the call after showing real promise before his own injury derailed things in late July. In 14 appearances spanning 14.1 innings, the 28-year-old posted a 2.51 ERA. From June 16 through July 30, he allowed just two earned runs in 12.2 innings.
Before going down with right shoulder inflammation, Hollowell finished his last 13 games with a 1.42 ERA and 12 strikeouts.
He returned in September with the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A, making four appearances. In 4.1 innings, he struck out six, walked three and allowed one run.
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