Cabrera was cleared to return Sunday from a nearly two-month stint on the injured list due to a left hamstring strain. However, he pitched through a finger blister during his start against the Cardinals, and he took the loss after allowing seven runs on six hits and three walks while striking out two across 3.2 innings. Cabrera's new injury will keep him shelved until at least early September, though the Cubs will have a better sense of the 28-year-old right-hander's return timeline once he's cleared to begin a throwing program. Per Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network, the plan moving forward is for Cabrera to work his way back as a reliever following his third stint on the IL, so Javier Assad -- who was recalled from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move -- figures to be the Cubs' fifth man in the rotation.

Cabrera made his return to the Cubs on Sunday after spending nearly two months on the shelf while recovering from a left hamstring strain. The right-hander struggled out of the gate, surrendering a two-run home run to Alec Burleson in the first inning. The day didn't get much better from there, as Cabrera worked through traffic throughout the game and needed 77 pitches to record his 11 outs. The blister may have been a factor in Cabrera's struggles and could prompt the Cubs to reconsider his role, as manager Craig Counsell was non-committal after the game regarding whether the 28-year-old would receive another turn through the rotation or move to the bullpen. Cabrera previously landed on the injured list in May due to a similar issue.