WASHINGTON -- The Marlins placed right-hander Edward Cabrera on the 15-day injured list on Monday (retroactive to Sunday) with a right elbow sprain. He will undergo further evaluation.
Cabrera’s last time out on Saturday was a rare off game for him during an otherwise breakout 2025 campaign. He allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts, one walk and one hit-by-pitch in four innings.
“He felt some tightness, so we just felt [it was best] to get him out of there and to get that checked out and try to have a better idea of what we were looking at,” manager Clayton McCullough said Monday morning. “So [we] still have some further evaluations. But it was an easy decision after he felt that to at least start with an IL stint and just see where some of the exams take this.”
This marks the second time Cabrera has undergone testing on his arm this season. After he exited his July 11 start against the Orioles, an MRI revealed posterior right elbow discomfort. Cabrera would avoid the IL, and Miami was able to use the All-Star break in its favor by pushing back the flamethrower’s return to the fifth game of the second half.
“The symptomology was a little different, just like where he was feeling some of the pain, so that part is a little bit different,” McCullough said. “And certainly, we’re able to manage some of the prior instances where he felt something, and this one with a little different spot just warranted some further examination.”
The 27-year-old Cabrera has a 7-7 record with a 3.57 ERA in 24 starts, already setting single-season career marks in several categories, including starts, innings (128 2/3) and strikeouts (140). His bWAR (2.3) paces Marlins pitchers.
Cabrera is the latest starting arm to be sidelined. Righties Janson Junk (right ulnar nerve irritation) and Ryan Gusto (right shoulder impingement) recently got hurt. Righty Max Meyer (left hip impingement) and lefty Braxton Garrett (Tommy John surgery rehab) are done for the season.
“Any time it's a pitcher and it's that part in the elbow, you have some concern,” McCullough said of Cabrera. “Right now, until we get just some more concrete info on what's going on there, we'll remain optimistic. So I guess that's it right now: optimistic. But also, any time it's elbow, shoulder, you hate to take your mind to a really bad place.”
While the Marlins await more information, they will look into contingency plans.
Following Monday’s bullpen game, in which righty Lake Bachar opened for his first career start and four others tossed scoreless outings in a 2-0 loss at Nationals Park, the Marlins will send No. 15 prospect Adam Mazur (Tuesday) and Eury Pérez (Wednesday) to the mound to close out the series in Washington. Thursday’s off-day will allow the club to reset.
“I thought our ‘pen did really well today,” said Bachar, who allowed the game’s two runs in the second. “Had a lot of fresh arms come in today for us, getting called back up and all that stuff. It was really good. I felt like we covered innings really well. I thought we did a really good job out there.”
Rosters expanded on Monday at the perfect time for the Marlins, who selected the contract of righty Luarbert Arias and recalled righty Michael Petersen (1 1/3 scoreless frames in the series opener) from Triple-A Jacksonville to bring up fresh arms.
“On the pitching side right now, to be honest, we're just trying to survive,” McCullough said. “Just between some of the games with the shortened starts and some of the injuries, our pitching right now is just going to be kind of more of a day-to-day thing and what we need to survive one day to the next.”
More reinforcements could be on the way sooner rather than later.
Lefty Ryan Weathers (left lat strain) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday, tossing 60 pitches (39 strikes) across 2 2/3 innings. He is on track to make his next rehab start later this week, increasing his pitch count into the 70s. If Weathers feels good during the outing and in the subsequent days, he could be activated.
“There's definitely where we're maybe not looking to have to get Ryan built back up to a full workload before he comes back and pitches for us,” McCullough said. “If he's able to get the 75- to 80-pitch range prior to coming back, we feel good with that. And more importantly, assuring that after this next one, if he's able to recover well with more intensity and more volume will be the bigger dictator for us about what we do with the next one.”