Edward Cabrera Placed On IL, Jordan Wicks Called Up

The injuries continue to pile up for the Chicago Cubs. 

After leaving his start early due to a right middle finger blister on Wednesday against the Brewers, the Cubs officially placed Edward Cabrera on the 15-day injured list prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Astros. 

Cabrera threw a bullpen session earlier on Sunday to test the blister on his finger. However, it appears his blister is not fully healed yet. This IL move is retroactive to May 21, and the right-hander will not be able to return until June 5. 

Cabrera is the latest Cubs starter to go on the injured list. He joins Cade Horton (Tommy John surgery), Matthew Boyd (meniscus), and Justin Steele (flexor strain). 

It has been an up-and-down start to Cabrera's tenure with the Cubs. He had a 2.73 ERA and 22 strikeouts in his first five starts, but had a 5.55 ERA and 25 strikeouts in his last five outings before landing on the 15-day IL. 

Cabrera hasn’t quite been the same pitcher that he was with the Marlins in 2025. His average fastball velocity (95.8 mph) is 1.1 mph slower than last year (96.9 mph), and his strikeout rate is way down (25.8% to 20.7%). 

Even though the 28-year-old has struggled on the mound recently, losing him for a period of time will be felt. The Cubs are now down three of their top four starting pitchers. 

Cabrera is set to miss at least two turns through the rotation, and the Cubs will have to replace him. Left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks appears to be the favorite to start in his place while he recovers from that blister. 

Wicks was called up on Sunday to replace Cabrera on the active roster. Considering the southpaw just threw 58 pitches on Thursday, he is likely not available to pitch on Sunday or on Monday. That puts him on track to start in Cabrera's place on Tuesday against the Pirates. 

The 26-year-old started the season on the 15-day injured list due to a forearm issue. After building up on his rehab assignment in April/May, the Cubs eventually optioned Wicks to Triple-A once he was fully healthy. 

But his recent outings with the Iowa Cubs have caught the attention of the front office. He threw six innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts against Triple-A Nashville on May 15 and delivered five shutout innings with two strikeouts against Triple-A Memphis on May 21. 

Nothing has been confirmed yet on who will replace Cabrera, but all signs point to Wicks taking his spot. He is built up as a starter, and his pitching schedule lines up perfectly.