The Chicago Cubs are stuck in the thick of an NL Central and wild-card dogfight at the same time. The bullpen is stretched thin. Edward Cabrera just wrapped his first minor-league rehab game — coming out of the bullpen. The former starter’s transition is still up in the air, but the message has already reached the big-league coaching staff.
Here’s the only question that really matters right now: can Cabrera lock down a bullpen job before October?
The Heart of It: His Rehab Outing and the Honest “Mixed Bag” Read
MLB.com confirmed Cabrera took the mound in early September during a rehab appearance, doing it in the closer role. Just slotting him there says a lot — the Cubs aren’t treating him as a starter anymore.
Bleacher Nation’s game recap nailed it — “Mixed Bag.” The good stuff? His strikeout stuff and velocity both bounced back. The not-so-good stuff? His command was shaky, the walk rate was ugly, and batters were making hard contact in spots they shouldn’t.
Heavy.com pointed out something interesting — the Cubs dropped the injury update right in the middle of their series against the Brewers. Timing like that doesn’t happen by accident. There’s a roster chess move brewing.
The Numbers Side by Side
| Category | Cabrera (Starter Career) | Cabrera (First Rehab Relief Outing) |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Starting Pitcher | Reliever / Closer |
| Velocity | — | Back to normal |
| Strikeout Ability | Strength | Still there |
| Command | Inconsistent | Too many walks |
| Sample Size | Full season | One rehab game |
One inning, do-or-die stuff. That’s what will decide his real value in a big-league bullpen.
The Bullpen Gap and the Playoff Clock
Let’s be real — the Cubs’ current relief corps is giving up too many runs. High-leverage innings keep turning into losses. That’s a hole a serious playoff team can’t afford.
Cabrera stepping in changes three things right away:
First, the Cubs get more flexibility in how they use him. Short, high-intensity bursts become a real weapon, and the coaching staff has more room to maneuver.
Second, the rest of the bullpen gets a breather. Other relievers don’t have to carry as much of the load, which means less fatigue piling up down the stretch.
Third, we still need more data. One rehab game isn’t enough to draw any real conclusions. What he does in his next few appearances is what’ll tell us what we’ve got.
Three Things Worth Watching
The rehab debut itself. Cabrera took the first real step back. Now the question is whether he can handle back-to-back high-intensity relief outings. Right now, a mid-to-late September return looks like the most likely window.
What “mixed bag” really means. The strikeouts and velocity are the encouraging part. The walks and hard contact are just growing pains from the switch. Whether that command issue is a real problem or just a blip — we’re going to need at least three rehab outings to figure that out.
The quiet announcement tells a story. The Cubs dropped the Cabrera update during the Brewers series. There’s clearly a strategy underneath it all — sending a message to a division rival before things heat up.
The Bottom Line
Cabrera’s first relief outing shakes up the Cubs’ bullpen situation. In the short term, he’s filling a depth hole. Over the long haul, his command numbers will decide whether he earns a spot in high-leverage spots.
From a Cubs score-watching perspective, every division series game now has one more name on the list of guys who could swing a win or loss. Cabrera. The coaching staff is running out of time to figure this out. What happens in September rehab games will directly shape who makes the October bullpen.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q: What changed about Cabrera’s role during his rehab outing?
- A: Cabrera had been a starter for most of his career, but in his early-September minor-league rehab appearance, the Cubs used him in the closer role. That move basically said they’re done treating him as a starter and want to see what he can do as bullpen depth.
- Q: What does the “mixed bag” label on Cabrera’s relief debut actually mean?
- A: The good news — his velocity is back where it should be, and his strikeout stuff, which has always been his best weapon, still showed up. The worry — his command was all over the map, the walk rate was too high, and contact was inconsistent. It’s classic transition growing pains, and we’ll need at least three rehab outings to know if the command issues are a real red flag or just rust.
- Q: Why did the Cubs announce Cabrera’s update during the Brewers series?
- A: The Brewers are a direct NL Central rival, so dropping the Cabrera update right then was a pretty clear tactical move — roster games and a touch of psychological warfare, getting under a division opponent’s skin before things ramp up.
- Q: If Cabrera successfully moves to the bullpen, what does he actually bring to the Cubs?
- A: Three things. One, more flexibility in how the staff uses him — short bursts of high-intensity heat become a new option. Two, healthier arms across the rest of the bullpen because he’s sharing the workload. Three, immediate help plugging a depth gap that’s been hurting them.
- Q: From a “Cubs score” angle, how does Cabrera’s return affect division games?
- A: The Cubs’ current bullpen has a bloated ERA and keeps coughing up runs in big moments, so Cabrera’s return adds another name to the list of guys who can flip a division game either way. The coaching staff has to use September’s rehab data to decide if he belongs in the high-leverage mix come October.
Further Reading
- MLB.com: Edward Cabrera makes Minor League rehab relief appearance
- Bleacher Nation: Edward Cabrera’s First Rehab Appearance as a Reliever Was a Mixed Bag
- Heavy.com: Chicago Cubs Quietly Announced Edward Cabrera Update During Brewers Series