Edward Cabrera returned to the Cubs on September 12 with a new job: helping finish games from the bullpen. Chicago activated him from the injured list and put Trent Thornton on the 15-day injured list with an ankle injury, according to Cubs Insider.
Cabrera had been sidelined since August 17 by a blister, following an earlier hamstring injury. His preparation for this return included three relief appearances with Triple-A Iowa. That gives the Cubs a pitcher who has begun adjusting to shorter outings, though getting healthy and getting reliable major-league outs are separate tests.
The Sun-Times reported that Cabrera entered the move with a 5.68 ERA over 76 innings. Manager Craig Counsell pointed to Roki Sasaki's successful move to relief for the Dodgers as an example of what a late-season change can accomplish. Cabrera said he was willing to take whichever assignment would help the club. The comparison sets out a possibility, rather than a forecast for his results.
Chicago also got a reminder that the pitchers already in the bullpen remain central to the solution. In Saturday's 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh, the relief group recorded the final 10 outs after the Cubs fell behind. The Daily Herald's report put that performance against a difficult stretch: six blown saves since August 21, tied for the most in the majors entering that game.
Cabrera adds another option for Counsell. How often he can pitch, how his command holds up in relief and which situations he can handle will determine how useful that option becomes.
