On Tuesday night, baseball returned to Jacksonville with the Jumbo Shrimp's home opener. It also marked Edward Cabrera's return to the mound for the first start of his rehab assignment for the Miami Marlins. In his limited action, Cabrera impressed.
The talented right-hander allowed one run in three innings of work against a WooSox lineup that included future stars Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. After allowing some hard contact in the first inning Cabrera settled down and showed why he is a key piece for the Marlins. The 26-year-old finished his afternoon with four strikeouts.Â
Against Worcester, Cabrera was very efficient. He didn't walk a batter and threw 27 of his 46 pitches for strikes. While the Jumbo Shrimp offense gave him plenty of breathing room with ten runs on ten hits, Cabrera dazzled on the mound.Â
For the Marlins, Cabrera's success was an encouraging sign. He is expected to be an important piece of a rotation that includes Sandy Alcantara. The Marlins are at their best when both Cabrera and Alcantra are healthy. Through six games, they are off to a surprising 4-2 start and looking to build on their solid play. That will be easier with Cabrera back with the team.
As the Dominican native continues to work his way back from a blister issue on his right middle finger, he may not need that much time in the minors. He is eligible to come off on the IL on April seventh and should be able to get at least one more outing in before then.
At VyStar Ballpark on Tuesday, Cabrera showed that he is nearly ready to be back in the majors.