The good news is that Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Edward Cabrera appears to be good to go after exiting early in his previous start this week against the Colorado Rockies. The right-hander came out with one out in the fifth inning, when the Cubs were trailing 3-2 en route to a 5-2 loss. Cabrera was charged with all five runs in the losing effort, but the main concern was his premature departure from the game.
It’s never a good sign when you see the manager go out to the mound with the team trainer, and with Cabrera’s extensive injury history, Cubs fans were holding their breath, hoping for the best. It turned out to be a cramp in Cabrera’s pitching hand, which raised a suspicion from Marquee Sports Network analyst Jason Kipnis following Tuesday’s game.
Kipnis, who called out the team’s leadership, approach at the plate, and management, also had some tough words regarding Cabrera, who has already been on the injured list this season because of a blister. Kipnis seemed puzzled over the cramp in Cabrera’s hand, stating that he’s never experienced that in his 10-year career, and then he questioned the pitcher’s toughness by saying that as a teammate, he’d want guys who would not ask to come out of a game, which Cabrera did on Tuesday night.
In a season that’s been marred by pitching injuries, the last thing you’d want is for Cabrera to feel something odd and pitch through it, which could make the situation much worse. Yet, it’s also not a great look when the team is desperate to keep some semblance of consistency in the starting rotation, that your highly-publicized pitching acquisition seems to look for an escape route when adversity hits.
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That’s the ugly reputation that Cabrera is creating in the eyes of some observers, as The Score’s afternoon radio host Laurence Holmes alluded to that nasty narrative following Cabrera’s latest setback. Holmes predicted that Cabrera was going to have an early exit on Tuesday after the pitcher gave up a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.
A few batters in the fifth, Cabrera came out, which did not come as a surprise to the radio host. “How soon is Cabrera going to tap out?”
Prior to Wednesday night’s series finale against the Rockies, Craig Counsell said things were looking good for Cabrera. It was a cramp that was resolved on its own, and the right-handed pitcher is expected to make his next scheduled start against the New York Mets on Monday.
Regardless of the perception, Cabrera has to pitch better than he has. He has been awful this year, recording a 5.21 ERA in 13 starts.
