Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Chicago Cubs face mounting rotation concerns after another pitcher left Wednesday's game early with an injury.
- Current starters show inconsistent performances, and depth options at Triple-A raise doubts about immediate fixes.
- An urgent trade could bring immediate help to the Cubs' struggling rotation before the NL Central race slips away.
A brutal stretch somehow got even worse for the Chicago Cubs, as Edward Cabrera had to leave Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers after throwing just one pitch in the fourth inning. No, Cabrera wasn't pitching particularly well (although Pete Crow-Armstrong's costly misplay that led to a Little League home run didn't help matters), but performance isn't why he left the game. He departed prematurely because he became the latest injured Cubs pitcher.
Fortunately, the injury doesn't appear to be serious, as the Cubs announced that the right-hander was just dealing with a blister on his right middle finger. The fact that the oft-injured Cabrera had to leave a game early because of an injury, though, particularly when the Cubs are already short-handed rotation-wise, should have Jed Hoyer in a slight panic, looking to make a move. Adding a starting pitcher as soon as possible would be ideal.
Edward Cabrera's injury scare should lead to immediate action from Jed Hoyer
Even if Cabrera's injury is minor, a starting pitching injury is the last thing this team can afford right now. I mean, just look at this list of starting pitching injuries for yourself.
Pitcher | Injury | Expected Return |
|---|---|---|
Matthew Boyd | Left meniscus tear | Late June/Early July |
Justin Steele | Flexor strain | Second half of 2026 |
Cade Horton | UCL surgery | 2027 |
How many teams can survive without their three best starters for any period of time? The Cubs are attempting to do so, and will continue to attempt to do so until late June at the very earliest, but it's been rough. Matthew Boyd should be back before the All-Star break, but Cade Horton has already been ruled out for the year, and who knows when, or even if, to expect Justin Steele to return? He just had a setback in his 2025 UCL surgery recovery.
The Cubs are incredibly beaten up, and adding Cabrera to that list would be incredibly difficult to overcome for a Chicago team trying to keep pace with the Brewers and others in a wildly competitive NL Central. Look at what these injuries have left the Cubs with in their rotation.
- LHP Shota Imanaga: 31 HR allowed in 2025, 4 HR allowed in last 3 starts
- RHP Ben Brown: Not fully built up, 4.93 career ERA as a starter
- RHP Jameson Taillon: 4.97 ERA, 16 HR allowed (most in MLB)
- RHP Colin Rea: 4.98 ERA
I don't even know who the fifth starter would be if Cabrera has to miss any time. Sure, you can trust Imanaga, who has pitched mostly well this season despite some reignited home run issues lately, and you can trust Brown, who has had a great year, but who else is there to lean on, particularly if Cabrera is out? Would promoting Javier Assad or Jordan Wicks from Triple-A really help matters? The need for a trade to add depth is clear to give the Cubs a better chance to tread water.
Cubs must pursue an emergency trade to keep pace in NL Central
Obviously, this kind of deal wouldn't get anyone excited, but we need to be realistic: The Twins' Joe Ryan isn't going anywhere in May. While it might not seem ideal to acquire a pitcher with a 7.03 ERA on the year, that one statistic doesn't tell the whole story. There are reasons to believe Lorenzen can be fine enough for a desperate Cubs team.
First of all, while his ERA is sky-high, a lot of that has to do with pitching half the time at Coors Field. Lorenzen has a 10.03 ERA in five starts in Colorado, and he has a much more manageable 4.26 ERA on the road in six appearances (five starts). Lorenzen has pitched better away from altitude than guys like Taillon and Rea have overall. He's allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his away outings this season.
Second of all, Lorenzen has the profile of a pitcher who might succeed with the Cubs. Not only does he do a good job limiting walks, but he also ranks in the 64th percentile with a 46.4 percent ground ball rate per Baseball Savant. He won't beat himself by losing the zone too often, and he'll generate plenty of opportunities for Gold Glovers like Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Alex Bregman to make plays behind him (Michael Busch is a strong defender at first base, too).
Brett Bateman is an intriguing prospect as he runs incredibly well, has displayed an elite eye this season and is a strong defensive center fielder, but the Cubs have numerous players blocking him, including Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is Chicago's center fielder in 2026 and beyond. The Rockies might be able to find a use for him, and they don't have much of a need for Lorenzen, a 34-year-old on a one-year deal who can't pitch in their home ballpark.
It might be a bit of an overpay from Chicago's perspective, but overpaying is how you can get a deal done in May. The Cubs don't have much of a need for Bateman, and they desperately need any sort of reliability in their rotation, especially after Cabrera's injury scare. They can no longer wait until the deadline for reinforcements; they must act now.
More Chicago Cubs news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google