The Chicago Cubs have officially activated right-hander Edward Cabrera from the 15-day injured list. As the corresponding roster move, right-hander Javier Assad has been optioned to Triple-A Iowa, per 104.3 The Score’s Bruce Levine.
Cabrera’s return was first reported on August 14. The right-hander is set to start the Cubs’ series finale against their long-time division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. Cabrera suffered a brutal injury against the New York Mets, straining both his left hamstring and adductor muscle.
What the Javier Assad News Means for the Cubs
GettyJavier Assad played the role of unsung hero for a Cubs pitching staff brutalized by injuries in 2026. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
With Javier Assad optioned to the minor leagues, he must spend 15 days on his optional assignment. That means the Cubs can recall him to the MLB roster until August 31 at the earliest, except to replace an injured player.
Assad has given the Cubs some invaluable innings. He’s worn multiple hats for the team, which has included starting, long relief, and a more traditional relief role. In 80.1 innings, he carries a 3.59 ERA on the season.
The Cubs elected to send down a player with options to make room for Edward Cabrera. Aaron Civale was a low-profile trade at the trade deadline, but he’s pitched to a 2.84 ERA in relief with better peripherals than Assad.
While Assad carries a 3.59 ERA, there are concerns about his true run-prevention abilities. He has a 16.5% strikeout rate on the season and surrenders 1.68 home runs per nine innings. That shows up more in his 5.01 FIP and 4.42 xFIP, more in line with a replacement arm.
That doesn’t mean that Assad lacks value for the Cubs. Instead, he presents an optionable arm that can fill multiple roles. When he reports to Iowa, the Cubs will likely treat him as optionable bullpen depth. Especially considering their current rotation situation.
Assad entered the 2026 season with two options. While this year’s option has already been burned, the Cubs can still send him down to the minor leagues next season.
Cubs Tease Six-Man Rotation in September
Edward Cabrera’s activation begs the question of whether the Cubs will go with a six-man rotation. The team acquired three starters ahead of the trade deadline after Cabrera’s injury.
Levine also reports that the Cubs will stick with a five-man rotation for now. They may skip a starter during this turn through the rotation. But the team did not leave out the possibility of a six-man rotation when rosters expand to 14 pitchers in September.
It’s unclear who will be the odd man out. The Cubs added Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson to reinforce a rotation that’s undergone significant injuries. They’re without Cade Horton, Ben Brown, and Justin Steele at this point in the season.
The benefit of potentially going to a six-man rotation is to reduce the wear on their starters. But it also carries the risk of a routine disruption at the same time.
The Cubs certainly want their pitchers fresh going into the postseason. They have a stranglehold over the top National League Wild Card spot entering play on August 16.
To put that into context, they are closer to the first-place Milwaukee Brewers (4 GB) than they are to the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, and Arizona Diamondbacks (six-game lead).
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