The Chicago Cubs‘ rotation should get healthier over the weekend. Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports that right-hander Edward Cabrera will be activated from the injured and start Sunday’s game vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs acquired Cabrera to anchor their rotation to begin the season. Believing in his 2025 breakout, they sent a three-prospect package headlined by corner outfielder Owen Caissie to land the hard-throwing right-hander from the Miami Marlins.
Like with most of their starters, the right-hander has battled injuries this season. He’s currently on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring/adductor strain, an injury he suffered covering first base. Cabrera was carted off the field after the injury.
He also missed time with a blister issue earlier in the year.
In 2026, Cabrera has pitched to a 5.10 ERA and 5.04 FIP across 72.1 innings. The inconsistencies that plagued him in his time with the Marlins returned. His strikeout rate dropped to a career-low 21.0%.
What Edward Cabrera’s Return from the IL Means
GettyCubs starter Edward Cabrera is set to return from an ugly hamstring and adductor injury against the Cardinals. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
While Edward Cabrera was sidelined, the Cubs acquired three starters via trade. Chicago picked up David Peterson, Kevin Gausman, and Clay Holmes to reinforce a rotation that was struggling to field five healthy starters once injuries took hold.
With Cabrera starting on Sunday, that pushes left-hander Shota Imanaga’s next start to the series opener against the Chicago White Sox.
After that turn through the rotation, the Cubs will have to decide if they want a five- or six-man rotation down the stretch. If they opt to stick with five starters, then Peterson could be the odd man out in the rotation. One idea would be to piggyback Peterson after Cabrera, but that probably isn’t a long-term solution.
The Cubs will make a roster move ahead of Cabrera’s activation from the injured list on Sunday. Javier Assad and Aaron Civale seem like the primary candidates to get bumped from the active roster.
Assad can be optioned to Triple-A Iowa, as he’s likely unavailable for Chicago for the Cardinals series. He threw 66 pitches to secure a 12-out save against the Washington Nationals on May 12.
Or if Chicago wants to take a more drastic route, they could designate Civale for assignment. However, he has a 2.84 ERA with 10 strikeouts and two walks over 12.2 innings as a reliever.
Chicago Cubs Announce Return Date for Edward Cabrera Before Cardinals Series