Cubs Activate Edward Cabrera From 15-Day IL

The Cubs are activating right-hander Edward Cabrera off the 15-day injured list, per the Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan. Cabrera will start today’s game against the Cardinals. In a corresponding active roster move, Chicago optioned swingman Javier Assad to Triple-A Iowa.

Cabrera had been on the IL since June 24th due to a left hamstring strain. He returns after nearly an eight-week absence having made three rehab appearances in the upper minors. The righty struck out 11 over a combined 5 2/3 innings at Triple-A on July 31st and August 5th. He followed that with seven strikeouts in five scoreless innings for Double-A Knoxville on August 11th, setting him up to return to the Majors on normal rest today.

Between this absence and a previous minimum stint for a right middle finger blister, Cabrera has thrown 72 1/3 innings over 14 starts in his first season with the Cubs. The results have been underwhelming, to say the least. After posting a 3.53 ERA for the Marlins last year, Cabrera is up to a 5.10 mark in 2026. His strikeout and walk rates have both trended in the wrong direction and now grade out below average. Concerningly, he’s also surrendered 14 home runs after allowing 17 in over 65 more innings in 2025. The righty’s chase rate and ground ball percentage still grade out favorably, but not much else has been working for him this year.

It’s not what the Cubs had in mind when they sent a three-prospect package to the Marlins for Cabrera back in January. With the team in the middle of a playoff race and holding the top NL Wild Card spot, they will hope he can right the ship now that he’s healthy. Compared to the offense, which features an MVP contender in Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago’s rotation has been a weak spot this year. The group has combined for just 3.9 fWAR, which ranks fourth-worst in the Majors. Their 20.1% strikeout rate and 1.62 HR/9 rank 24th and 29th, respectively, while their 4.29 ERA is middle-of-the-pack.

The Cubs reinforced the rotation by trading for Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman, and David Peterson at the deadline. The early returns on those deals have been mixed. Holmes has a 3.38 ERA in two starts with the team and took a perfect game into the sixth inning his last time out. In contrast, Gausman has a 6.17 ERA in two starts, despite more encouraging peripherals. Peterson has a decent 3.60 ERA in his last 10 innings, though he’s now ticketed for bullpen work with Cabrera back in the rotation, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd have both struggled in their two most recent starts.

The hope is that Cabrera can find his footing as the team works toward a postseason appearance. In the meantime, that will result in Assad going down to Triple-A. The righty has been a serviceable swingman for the Cubs this year, working to a 3.59 ERA in 21 appearances (ten starts) while posting better than average walk and ground ball rates. Assad has been slightly better out of the rotation than the bullpen. He has a 3.29 ERA in 52 innings as a starter, compared to a 4.13 ERA in 28 1/3 relief innings. The Cubs used him as a bulk reliever on August 12th, and Assad threw 66 pitches over four innings while allowing two earned runs.

It’s not all perfect, as Assad has struggled badly with the long ball this year while continuing to record strikeouts at a well-below-average rate. For now, the club is content to swap Cabrera for Peterson in the rotation and Peterson for Assad as the long man out of the bullpen. Assad has been recalled from optional assignments twice this year, so he figures to get called up again when a fresh arm is needed.