Marlins’ Edward Cabrera, already struggling this spring, exits start with middle finger blister
Edward Cabrera had already had a rocky spring training, with the Miami Marlins’ right-handed pitcher struggling with his command through his first three Grapefruit League starts.
Now, he could be dealing with an injury, as well.
Cabrera left his start on Thursday in the Marlins’ 10-5 loss to the Houston Astros after just 12 pitches with a blister on his right middle finger — an issue he has dealt with at times over the course of his career. He threw just two strikes in that span, giving up two four-pitch walks with a single on a 2-1 count in between before the training staff and manager Clayton McCullough visited Cabrera on the mound and promptly removed him from the game.
“Blister just flared up on him out there,” McCullough said. “Just made a decision there. You could tell he was just throwing fastballs. Wasn’t throwing much breaking stuff. It just didn’t seem like it was [worth it], with that thing still bothering him some, to go any further. Just get it treated, get it knocked out hopefully and then reassess for what it looks like for the next time he goes out there.”
Cabrera said he began feeling the blister in his previous outing and that it is mostly affecting him when he throws breaking balls.
“I was in conversation with our trainers today,” Cabrera said. “We’re gonna have a different approach on the treatment. We don’t have details as of now, but that’s something that we’re gonna continue working with and try to improve.”
Through four spring appearances, Cabrera has given up 13 earned runs on 11 hits and four walks with just three strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings — a 25.07 ERA.
Cabrera, 26, has an injury history throughout his MLB career, including a series of shoulder issues in addition to the recurring blister. He hasn’t started more than 20 games in a season and hasn’t eclipsed the 100 innings mark in any campaign. Last year, he pitched to a 4.95 ERA over 96 1/3 innings and twice was sidelined due to a right shoulder impingement.
McCullough said there is still enough time in spring training to get Cabrera ramped up for the start of the season should the blister only impact his timeline for this one outing. Miami begins the season March 27 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“I think where we we’re at, we’ll still be OK,” McCullough said. “I think a lot would just be determined, [the] next course [of action] here with how, with it flaring up like it did today, how it responds.”
Should the setback cause Cabrera to miss time, it would leave an opening in the Marlins’ starting rotation. Sandy Alcantara, Ryan Weathers, Max Meyer and Cal Quantrill are expected to have four of the five spots. Valente Bellozo or prospects Adam Mazur or Dax Fulton would be candidates to replace Cabrera.
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 1:59 PM.
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