Cubs rotation – Edward Cabrera and Matthew Boyd are nearing returns from injuries, and manager Craig Counsell says Cabrera could be back during the upcoming weekend series against the Giants. Boyd continues his rehab after surgery for a torn meniscus, and both are vital as th
The relief isn’t loud yet, but it’s real. After weeks of running out of arms and watching the rotation shrink under injury after injury, the Cubs finally have two starters inching back toward the top of the staff.
Edward Cabrera—an offseason acquisition expected to be a centerpiece— is on the injured list with a blister. Manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Cabrera is expected to return during the upcoming weekend series against the Giants.
Matthew Boyd is also close. The left-hander, a 2025 All-Star and this year’s Opening Day starter, made a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. He is working his way back after surgery for a torn meniscus. and Counsell said he’ll make another Saturday appearance. Assuming all goes well, Boyd will be “good to go,” Counsell said.
For a Cubs team whose starting staff was decimated by injuries in the first two months, those dates matter. Right-hander Cade Horton was lost for the season with Tommy John surgery, and Boyd has been on the shelf for a month.
“We need healthy bodies back,” Counsell acknowledged.
Still, the Cubs’ problems didn’t disappear with Tuesday’s good news. Jordan Wicks was sent back to Iowa after a pair of brief, ugly outings as a fill-in. The Pirates scorched him for eight runs last week in Pittsburgh, and he was quickly pulled Sunday in St. Louis after facing just 10 batters and giving up another three runs.
Wicks’ return to the minors comes with a 15.63 ERA after just 6 innings with the big-league team. Ben Brown has been the bright spot, posting a 1.92 ERA and emerging as the Cubs’ best pitcher this season. Even so, the Cubs have leaned on their depth in a way that makes the margin feel thin.
Tuesday also brought additional shuffle: Javier Assad was shipped down to Iowa. top prospect Jaxon Wiggins is working back from inflammation in his elbow. and Colin Rea’s results haven’t matched his surprising rotation role from last season. Rea is sitting at a 4.70 ERA after finishing 2025 with a career-best 3.95 ERA in 32 games. with all but five of them starts.
Rea spoke about the mindset that comes with instability in the rotation. “Most of the guys on the starting staff have gone through injuries. so when your teammate goes through it. you do your best to try to pick him up and help him. ” he told the Sun-Times on Tuesday. “I feel like I’ve been doing this, even when I was in Milwaukee. So I guess I’m somewhat used to it. . . . Whatever happens, I’m ready for it.”.
For Rea, readiness may be more than a mindset. To make room for Cabrera and Boyd upon their returns, the Cubs already jettisoned Wicks. That move raises the possibility that Rea could be the next adjustment, heading back to the bullpen to wait for another injury absence.
“I don’t know what that’s going to look like. I haven’t thought about it too much,” Rea said. “If [a move to the bullpen] does happen, it speaks to the position that we’re in. If we’re making moves like that, it shows our rotation is strong. But I guess we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”
The Cubs are not just trying to avoid short-term shortages. They’re trying to prevent the season’s timeline from being shaped again by pitching that fades under pressure.
With some of their other starters showing shakier form, it’s hard to dismiss the risk as purely procedural. Jameson Taillon and Shota Imanaga—two accomplished and respected veterans the Cubs have invested in—have been shaky enough to draw attention. Taillon has allowed more home runs than any pitcher in the majors, with 20 on his tab. Imanaga is close behind, with 13 homers surrendered. They and their teammates allowed 10 homers apiece last month. and in May the Cubs’ starters finished with a 5.33 ERA. the third-highest in baseball.
Rea’s preparation and the hope around Cabrera and Boyd show how much the Cubs need more than good intentions—they need durability.
This is the kind of problem team president Jed Hoyer and the front office tend to address at the trade deadline. as pitching is assumed to be a priority for nearly every MLB team nearly every year. As expectations have grown. Hoyer has shown a willingness to make moves for high-impact players. dealing highly regarded prospects away for outfielder Kyle Tucker and Cabrera in back-to-back offseasons.
But last summer, when adding a starting pitcher seemed almost mandatory, Hoyer didn’t pull the trigger on a deal. The Cubs then watched their starting pitchers run out of gas in the National League Division Series against the Brewers.
That memory sits behind the question now: can the Cubs keep the season from slipping into the same familiar pattern—less about talent on paper, more about whether the rotation holds long enough to carry the team through the stretch that matters most?
Chicago Cubs Edward Cabrera Matthew Boyd Craig Counsell rotation injuries Jordan Wicks Ben Brown Javier Assad Jaxon Wiggins Colin Rea Jameson Taillon Shota Imanaga pitching depth