The Chicago Cubs’ pitching picture has changed fast since the deadline, and Edward Cabrera just added another layer to the mix.
What had looked thin and uncertain now feels a lot more crowded after Jed Hoyer brought in Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman. That alone reshaped the rotation outlook. But with Daniel Palencia and Cabrera also working back from injuries, the Cubs may soon have more arms than obvious jobs.
Cabrera made a strong case for himself in Triple-A Iowa this week. In a rehab outing that looked every bit like a statement, he threw four innings, struck out eight, and didn’t allow an earned run or a walk. It was the kind of sharp, overpowering performance that reminded the Cubs why they targeted him in the first place when they sent top prospect Owen Caissie to Miami last winter.
Edward Cabrera’s rehab outing with Iowa:
4.0 IP | 1 H | 1 R (0 ER) | 0 BB | 8 K
55 pitches, 41 strikes
He generated 11 whiffs on 30 swings (37%), sat 97.4 mph on his FF, and located very well. pic.twitter.com/Fl8QAZInAb
- Carson Wolf (@TheWrigleyWire) August 5, 2026
The problem for Cabrera is simple: the rotation is packed. Holmes and Gausman have joined a group that already includes Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and David Peterson, with David Peterson having allowed 2 ER or less in five of his six starts with the Cubs. Javier Assad, who has posted a 2.37 ERA since June 6, would likely sit ahead of Cabrera as well, though his options remaining make a promotion less likely.
That leaves the Cubs with a choice on how best to use Cabrera when he’s back. Craig Counsell has said the team will use a six-man rotation at times, and Cabrera could fit there. But there’s another path that may be even more intriguing: letting him attack in shorter bursts out of the bullpen, where his stuff can play up for an inning or two.
That role would fit especially well once Ben Brown and Justin Steele are back in the picture. A late-game group built around Cabrera, Brown, Steele, Palencia and Ryan Zeferjahn would give Counsell plenty of weapons to work with when the innings get tight.
Cabrera should make starts in August and September. That part seems clear.
But when October arrives, and the games carry real weight, he may be one of the names the Cubs trust enough to carry on a postseason roster. His latest outing was a reminder why: the stuff is real, and it could make him a dangerous bullpen option when the margin gets thin.
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