Door Opens for Jordan Wicks After Edward Cabrera Joins Cubs’ Painfully Long IL

The Chicago Cubs' starting rotation has suffered yet another injury blow.

The team announced Sunday that right-hander Edward Cabrera is headed to the 15-day IL with a right middle-finger blister, retroactive to May 21. In a corresponding move, lefty Jordan Wicks was recalled from Triple-A Iowa.

Cabrera exited his start in the 4th inning on May 20 against the Milwaukee Brewers with the blister. The 28-year-old has a 4.00 ERA in 10 starts over 54 innings pitched in his first season on the North Side. Cabrera was part of an offseason trade package that brought him to Chicago from the Miami Marlins and sent former top Cubs prospect Owen Caissie to Miami.

Cabrera is now the third starting pitcher on the Cubs' Opening Day roster currently on the IL, and the fifth overall.

Edward Cabrera Hits Cubs' Crazy Long IL

May 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; The Chicago Cubs visit with starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) on the mound during the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Young standout right-hander Cade Horton is out for the season after suffering an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) during his start on April 3, which required reconstructive surgery.

Veteran southpaw Matthew Boyd suffered a fluke injury to his knee while playing with his kids and had minor meniscus surgery on May 7. Manager Craig Counsell said at the time that Boyd would be out for at least six weeks. Boyd struggled a bit in his first five starts of the season, pitching to a 6.00 ERA over 24 innings.

The Cubs' bullpen has suffered through its fair share of injuries as well, with Hunter Harvey (60-day, right triceps inflammation), Riley Martin (15-day, left elbow inflammation), and Porter Hodge (60-day, right elbow strain) all out of commission.

Daniel Palencia and Caleb Thielbar also completed early-season stints on the IL but are both now healthy.

And that laundry list does not even include lefty Justin Steele, who has been out since April 2025 after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. Steele was originally scheduled to make his return in May or June of this season, but his recovery was shut down on April 28 due to a flexor strain in his throwing arm.

Wicks could now make his season debut for the Cubs after returning from the IL himself. The 28-year-old made seven starts for the I-Cubs this year, posting a 4.44 ERA over 26.1 innings.

The Cubs' 2021 first-rounder pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for Chicago last season and made eight appearances across sporadic stints on the big-league roster. He had a 6.28 ERA in 14.1 innings. While he could be an option to open games, the Cubs will likely turn to Javier Assad, who was recently sent to Iowa to get stretched out, to take Cabrera's place in the rotation.

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