Good Problem to Have? Edward Cabrera Looked Great in Recent Cubs Rehab Start

The Chicago Cubs could have a good problem to have as Edward Cabrera nears his return following a busy trade deadline.

Jun 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) in the dugout during the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Cubs are finally getting some major help on the mound.

After being one of the most banged-up teams in baseball for the first half of the year, the Cubs finally addressed the problem this week. With their sights set on a postseason run, the Cubs acquired multiple arms at this year's trade deadline. Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Ryan Zeferjahn, and Braxton Garrett have all joined the mix.

Both Gausman and Holmes will make their debuts as part of the starting rotation this weekend in Kansas City. Meanwhile, Zeferjahn has already displayed his impressive arm out of the bullpen. Braxton Garrett is still waiting for his turn, as he was called up ahead of Thursday's meeting with the Blue Jays.

But the reinforcements don't stop there.

As the Cubs look to continue their second-half surge, Edward Cabrera is on the brink of a return. The starting arm was acquired from the Miami Marlins this past offseason and entered the year with high expectations. Alas, Cabrera has failed to live up to the hype with a 5.10 ERA and has found himself on and off the IL with injuries.

Cabrera's strikeout percentage, in particular, has plummeted. His mix of breaking balls and off-speed stuff simply hasn't been as crisp, leading to way fewer swings and misses. The walks have also been a far bigger problem than normal. To be frank, it's made Cabrera appear like a liability at times.

Assuming Cabrera can tap back into his best stuff, however, there is no question that the 28-year-old can be a huge piece of a postseason push. Both his change-up and curveball can make batters look silly, while his sinker can be tough to connect on at 96+ mph. The hope is that some time off has helped him tweak a few things and get back to 100 percent. And, if his recent rehab assignment is any indication, perhaps that will prove true.

Edward Cabrera Looks Great for Iowa Cubs

Jun 23, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During Edward Cabrera's rehab performance on Wednesday, he looked downright dominant. Cabrera went 4.0 innings, allowing one hit and an unearned run. Even more encouraging, he walked off the mound with eight strikeouts.

Of his 55 total pitches, 41 were recorded as strikes. This included 11 whiffs, which might as well have been his speciality in 2025 with the Marlins. We're obviously talking about Triple-A competition, but Cabrera's stuff looked about as good as it has all season on tape.

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

So, does that mean he's on his way back? Not quite.

Tommy Hottovy didn't provide a return date for Cabrera. Instead, he said that the plan will be to increase the pitch count and give him another rehab assignment early next week.

“I thought the first three innings were great, finished strong, feeling good today. So the goal will be for him to have another rehab outing on Tuesday and just keep building pitch count. He will hopefully be around that 70-75 pitch count on Tuesday, so again just kind of evaluating recovery-wise.” 

One has to wonder if the Cubs feel less rushed to get Cabrera back to the bigs with Gausman and Holmes in town. Heck, there is a real scenario now where finding a spot for Cabrera upon his return proves quite difficult. Who's spot in the starting rotation would he take, especially when considering how rough his last handful of outings have been?

David Peterson has experience out of the bullpen, but the Cubs have gotten some excellent production from him as a starter in front of this defense. No one else makes sense out of the pen right now, which could mean Cabrera is thrust into a long reliever role. Regardless, this sounds like a good problem to have, right?

The Cubs didn't even know if they would have enough starters to field a competitive rotation at one point this year. Now, it feels like they may have too many options.

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