Miami Marlins
Marlins calling up top pitching prospect Edward Cabrera for MLB debut. The details
Edward Cabrera’s MLB debut is finally almost here.
The Miami Marlins announced Monday they are calling up the highly touted right-handed pitcher to start in their home series against the Washington Nationals. He is projected to start Wednesday.
Cabrera was told the news Sunday.
The 6-5, 217-pound right-hander from the Dominican Republic is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Miami’s system, No. 5 among all right-handed pitching prospects and No. 30 in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. His fastball can hit triple digits, and his changeup and slider are also valuable offerings.
Cabrera, signed as an international free agent in 2015, had a breakout 2019 season (2.23 ERA, 116 strikeouts, .190 batting average against in 96 2/3 innings between Class A Advanced and Double A before injuries delayed his eventual MLB debut. A shoulder injury during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season limited the amount of work he could do at the alternate training site. He missed all of spring training with a biceps injury that also delayed his start to the 2021 minor-league season.
But Cabrera continued to impress once he got back on the mound. He has made 13 starts this year (two with Class A Jupiter while rehabbing, five with Double A Pensacola and six with Triple A Jacksonville) and has 92 strikeouts against 25 walks over 61 1/3 innings. Opponents are hitting just .205 against him this year.
“He’s been good,” Marlins general manager Kim Ng said earlier this month. “Hopefully we get to see him at some point. No guarantees, but if he continues on that track, hopefully we’ll get to see him.”
The Marlins are now ready to see him and it comes during a season in which Miami’s starting rotation has been in a state of flux essentially since Opening Day. Sixto Sanchez never threw a pitch in a live game after suffering a shoulder injury at the Marlins’ alternate training site that required season-ending surgery. Elieser Hernandez has dealt with a pair of injuries that both required 60-day injured list stints and have limited him to just four MLB starts. Pablo Lopez has not pitched with the big-league club since the All-Star Break while dealing with a rotator cuff strain and Trevor Rogers hasn’t pitched in August while dealing with family matters.
This has resulted in the Marlins bouncing other prospects — Nick Neidert, Jordan Holloway, Daniel Castano and Cody Poteet among them — into and out of the rotation throughout the year while sprinkling in bullpen games to fill in the gaps. Miami has used a franchise-record 17 starting pitchers this year.
Cabrera will be No. 18 and potentially a sign of stability as the season nears its conclusion. Miami’s rotation to end the year could potentially include a combination of Sandy Alcantara, Lopez, Rogers, Cabrera, Hernandez and Jesus Luzardo.
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