Cubs Pitcher Injured
Cubs Pitcher Edward Cabrera Exits Game with Leg Injury; MRI Planned, IL Stint Expected
Key Points
Cubs placed Edward Cabrera on the injured list with a strained left hamstring, and the team planned an MRI on Wednesday to determine the injury's severity.
Tanner Gordon, who is rehabbing a hip issue, is expected to be promoted to the Cubs' rotation after one more rehab start for Triple-A Albuquerque, potentially to fill Cabrera's spot.
In the same game, Cabrera split to cover first base and grimaced while grabbing his left thigh, later leaving the field on a cart.
Earlier in that game, Cabrera was struck in the leg by a comebacker to the mound before his injury forced him out.
Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera tore his left hamstring covering first base during a fifth-inning play against the Mets at Citi Field on June 23, collapsed on the field, and was carted off. MLB Trade Rumors confirmed the Cubs placed him on the 15-day injured list, with an MRI scheduled in New York on Wednesday to gauge the severity of the strain.
The injury is the fifth rotation slot the Cubs have lost to the IL this season, leaving manager Craig Counsell to describe his pitching staff as "a little bit of a puzzle until the All-Star break," AP News reported. Chicago sits at 41-37, second in the NL Central and clinging to a Wild Card spot.
How a Routine Play Ended Cabrera's Night
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Mets hitter Jared Young grounded to second baseman Nico Hoerner. Hoerner made a sliding stop and fired to first. Cabrera sprinted to cover the bag and stretched into a full split to catch the throw. He immediately crumpled, grabbing his left inner thigh. After failing to stand on his own, he was carted off through the outfield wall, according to Taylor Daily News.
Cabrera said the moment was unlike anything he had felt before. "In that moment, all I was thinking about was to get that out," he told reporters. "A new sensation. A feeling I never felt before." The play also came after he was struck in the groin by a sharp comebacker earlier in the same game, NY Post reported.
Tanner Gordon Likely to Fill the Rotation Vacancy
Right-hander Tanner Gordon is the top candidate to replace Cabrera, according to CBS Sports. Gordon is currently rehabbing a hip issue with Triple-A Albuquerque. The Cubs expect him to make one more rehab start before being promoted to fill the open rotation slot.
Matthew Boyd, returning from left meniscus surgery, is also expected to be activated Thursday on a limited pitch count, per MLB Trade Rumors. That leaves Chicago's healthy rotation as Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, Ben Brown, and Javier Assad — a thin group heading into summer.
Cabrera's Injury History Made This a High-Risk Bet
The Cubs acquired Cabrera from the Marlins in January 2026, sending top prospect Owen Caissie and two other minor leaguers to Miami. He signed a one-year, $4.45 million deal. But Cabrera had never thrown 100 innings in an MLB season before 2025, when he reached a career-high 137.2 innings before suffering a late-season elbow sprain, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
In 2026, he missed two weeks in May with a blister, dealt with right-hand cramping just one week before this injury, and posted a 5.21 ERA across 13 starts. His WHIP sat at 1.39 with 25 walks in 67.1 innings, per RotoBaller, making him one of the more volatile rotation pieces in the NL.
Five Starters Down, Trade Deadline Pressure Mounts
Cabrera's placement means the Cubs now have five starting pitchers on the IL at once: Justin Steele (left elbow, 60-day), Cade Horton (right forearm, 60-day), Jameson Taillon (left hamstring), Matthew Boyd (left meniscus), and now Cabrera, AP News reported. The rotation has been gutted at a critical point in the season.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said acquiring pitching is the team's top trade deadline priority. "The major moves are much more likely to happen post All-Star Break," he said, per MLB Trade Rumors. With the August 3 deadline approaching and few sellers in the market, Chicago may face a steep price to land a high-end arm.
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