Cubs to decide soon when Cabrera will come off IL
WASHINGTON — Edward Cabrera knows the big-picture decisions are out of his control.
The Cubs have a looming decision on what to do with Cabrera and the rest of the rotation. Cabrera made his third rehab outing Tuesday, this time with Double-A Knoxville, and showed stellar stuff in his five no-hit innings while recording one walk and seven strikeouts. The Cubs wanted Cabrera to make at least three rehab starts in his return from a left hamstring strain that landed him on the injured list June 24.
The day after Cabrera’s outing hadn’t brought clarity to the Cubs’ plan for Cabrera and, by extension, the rest of the rotation following the additions of right-handers Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman to a starting staff that also currently includes left-handers Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd and David Peterson.
Before Wednesday’s game against the Washington Nationals, manager Craig Counsell said, “we’re getting to a decision point there, but no updated plan as of yet” for whether Cabrera’s next start will be with the Cubs or another minor-league rehab outing.
“There’s a lot of things we’re trying to sift through right now,” Counsell added.
One possible option: going with six starters for one turn to delay the decision to bump a pitcher from the rotation. But a six-man rotation would not be a long-term solution despite having capable options along with right-handers Javier Assad and Colin Rea currently in the bullpen.
“Inserting a sixth guy at times makes sense,” Counsell said. “I don’t think we’re going to go through the rotation multiple times with six guys. It’s not going to work for the bullpen.”
After all the starting pitching injuries the Cubs have endured this season, it’s a rare good problem they’re facing with too many healthy, quality starters following the addition of Gausman and Holmes at the trade deadline. Cabrera was with the team in Kansas City, Mo., over the weekend before heading to Double A for Tuesday’s start. He’s clearly eager to return.
“If it was up to me, I’d be ready to be with the team,” Cabrera said through an interpreter. “But these are things you have to do and complete.”
Cabrera possesses the type of stuff that would likely play up out of the bullpen. There are still more than six weeks left in the regular season, however, and making that decision now with Cabrera when there are so many games remaining might not be the path they want to take.
“I’m here to do whatever they say,” Cabrera said. “I simply follow orders. If I need to come out of the bullpen to help the team, I’ll do it. It’s all for the team.
“We’re all here to help the team to win. I think that’s the mentality we’re all forming as a team so that when that moment comes, the playoffs come, we’re going to go out there and do our best.”
Cabrera has shown flashes of why the Cubs coveted him and acquired the 28-year-old in the offseason. The consistency has been a struggle. In 14 starts, Cabrera owns a 5.10 ERA and 80 ERA+ over 72 1/3 innings with the lowest strikeout rate (21%) in his five big-league seasons.
“I think we can get a good version of Cabby going and healthy for the last six weeks or so of the season,” Counsell said. “And not maybe having as much mileage under him sets it up to be a good six weeks.”