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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: Vince Velasquez #56 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in relief during the eighth inning during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 25, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs received some bad news late Tuesday night when manager Craig Counsell announced that starter Edward Cabrera was going to land on the Injured List with a hamstring injury.
When that news dropped, it became apparent that Chicago would have to make a roster decision with another pitcher in their organization. Chicago is currently taking on the New York Mets, and will have a doubleheader on Wednesday to finish out the series.
During the Mets series, the Cubs selected the contract of 10-year MLB pitcher Vince Velasquez, seemingly as Cabrera’s corresponding move.
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Cubs Select Vince Velasquez
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 25: Vince Velasquez #56 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in relief during the eighth inning during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 25, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Per multiple reports, Vince Velasquez is having his MLB contract selected during the Mets series to fill the pitching void for the Cubs.
MLBTR.com’s Anthony Franco wrote (on 6/24):
“It’s the second big league stint of the season for Velasquez. The 34-year-old tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings in a mop-up appearance against the Dodgers on April 25. That marked Velasquez’s first big league appearance in three seasons. After a few years holding a rotation spot in Philadelphia, Velasquez has bounced around as a journeyman. He spent a couple days on Cleveland’s MLB roster last year without getting into a game and finished the season in Korea with the Lotte Giants.”
The Cubs also announced that Tyler Ferguson is up with the club as th 27th man for the DH.
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Cubs Starting Pitching Crisis
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – APRIL 17: Edward Cabrera #30 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after retiring the side during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field on April 17, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs are in a bit of a starting pitching crisis at the moment with the recent Edward Cabrera news.
Matthew Boyd is still facing setbacks in his return from injury, and after Cabrera was carted off the field in his start on Tuesday, the level of concern is fairly high, and replacing Edward Cabrera with Velasquez isn’t exactly a lateral move.
Chicago has been rumored to trade for several starting pitchers, and one can expect those rumors to continue as the calendar gets close to turning to July.
As for Vince Velasquez, before his one appearance with the Cubs in April, he had not pitched in MLB since 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Velasquez is a 10-year MLB veteran with a career 4.86 ERA over 144 career starts and 766 innings.
The Cubs are in a tight NL playoff push, and the continuous injuries to starters are not boding well for their postseason chances.
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TJ French covers the MLB for Heavy. TJ is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He has 2+ years of writing experience. Follow TJ French on X: @tj_french5 More about TJ French