The latest on Marlins prospect Edward Cabrera after his first Double A start of 2021
Edward Cabrera, the No. 4 prospect in the Miami Marlins’ organization and the No. 52 overall prospect in Major League Baseball according to MLB Pipeline, made the latest progression in his rehab from right biceps nerve inflammation that has hindered him since before spring training.
The 23-year-old right-handed pitcher threw 4 1/3 innings for the Double A Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader sweep against the Montgomery Biscuits. Cabrera threw 67 pitches, 42 of which went for strikes, while giving up just one run on two hits and a walk while striking out seven.
Cabrera, who did not throw during spring training, previously made two rehab assignment starts with Class A Jupiter, where he allowed just four hits while striking out 11 over six total innings.
The lone run Cabrera allowed on Saturday was a full-count home run to the Biscuits’ Ruben Cardenas to lead off the second. Cabrera struck out seven of the final 10 batters he faced after that. He also got out of an early jam in the first, getting a double play and an inning-ending groundout after walking the leadoff batter and giving up a single to put runners on first and second with no outs.
“He’s with us building up his pitch count and his innings limit,” Blue Wahoos manager Keith Randel said Saturday. “He was at right around 65 today. I think he got to that number. And we had to go get him. He just ran out of bullets. He threw the ball well.”
Cabrera has the pitching arsenal to become a high-end big-league starting pitcher if he can stay healthy. His fastball sits in the upper 90s and has touched 100 mph. His changeup has become a consistent pitch for him as well to go along with his slider.
Cabrera told Marlins Radio’s Kyle Sielaff that he’s getting “close to 100 percent” but also acknowledged that “without throwing for so long, I’m feeling a little uncomfortable on the mound. I’m still working on it.”
With no minor-league season in 2020, Cabrera spent the season at the Marlins’ alternate training site but also missed time with a shoulder injury that kept him from potentially making his MLB debut.
“It wasn’t easy being at home for the whole year,” Cabrera said. “Frustration was top peak at that moment. My parents walked me through the situation. They gave me a lot of advice so I can overcome this situation of just being home and wanting to play the game. I’m very glad we’re back.”
Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr., while optimistic about what Cabrera can provide to the club long-term, cautioned earlier this month not to expect an expedited path to the big leagues for Cabrera has thrown 43 career innings at Double A.
“This guy needs some innings,” Stottlemyre said on June 5. “He keeps doing some good things, and certainly his name will come up in the discussion to come up and help us when that time is right.”
