The Chicago Cubs did not just lose a game Saturday night. They may have exposed the biggest threat to their season.
After ripping through a 10-game winning streak, the Cubs finally came crashing back to earth in a 6-0 loss against the Texas Rangers. The offense deserves blame after going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, but the bigger concern walked off the mound after five shaky innings.
Edward Cabrera looked vulnerable again.
Not unlucky. Not slightly off. Vulnerable.
That distinction matters because the Cubs cannot afford for Cabrera to become another pitching question mark at the exact moment the rotation is already running low on stability.
The Version of Cabrera Cubs Feared Returned
GettyEdward Cabrera #30 of the Chicago Cubs looks on from the mound during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on May 9, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The warning signs were already there before Saturday.
Bleacher Nation’s Cole Bair recently highlighted troubling trends in Cabrera’s underlying metrics. His arm angle has dipped. His velocity has dropped slightly. The spin rates on his breaking pitches are also trending downward.
Those are not random numbers teams ignore.
That is the type of data organizations monitor closely when trying to identify whether a pitcher is battling mechanical issues, fatigue, or something potentially physical. None of those developments automatically signal disaster, but combined together, they create a profile that becomes difficult to dismiss.
Saturday’s outing only intensified those concerns.
Josh Jung crushed a home run in the second inning before Alejandro Osuna added another run later in the frame. Cabrera never regained control of the game afterward. Joc Pederson extended the damage with an RBI double in the fourth, and Justin Foscue’s fifth-inning homer effectively buried Chicago before the bullpen even entered.
The Rangers did not overpower Cabrera with nonstop offense. They simply capitalized on mistakes that looked far too hittable.
That is what makes this outing uncomfortable for the Cubs.
When Cabrera is commanding his fastball and generating sharp movement on his secondary pitches, he looks dominant enough to anchor stretches of a rotation. When the velocity drops or the command fades, innings unravel quickly. Saturday looked much closer to the second version.
Cubs Rotation Suddenly Faces Real Pressure
GettyEdward Cabrera #30 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field on May 9, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
That timing could become a major problem.
The Cubs already entered the season carrying pitching uncertainty. Injuries forced the organization to lean heavily on reclamation arms, depth options, and short-term solutions while trying to survive the first half.
Cabrera was supposed to help stabilize that situation.
For stretches this season, he did exactly that. He looked like a pitcher finally putting everything together. His raw stuff remained electric, and the Cubs appeared confident their pitching infrastructure could help him unlock consistency.
Now the conversation has changed.
Jordan Wicks is nearing a return from rehab, but even his progress comes with concerns about command and role clarity. That leaves the Cubs needing Cabrera far more than expected, especially if the division race tightens deeper into the summer.
The dangerous part for Chicago is that regression like this can spiral quickly for pitchers with Cabrera’s history. Once command slips and hitters stop chasing, the margin for error disappears fast.
That is why his next start suddenly feels far more important than it should in May.
The Cubs still look like one of the National League’s most dangerous teams. Their offense should rebound. Their winning streak already proved this roster can overwhelm opponents when everything clicks.
But if Cabrera’s declining trends continue, Chicago may soon find itself searching for rotation answers all over again.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Cubs Facing New Concern After Loss appeared first on HEAVY.