<p>NEW YORK – When Edward Cabrera officially hit the injured list with a hamstring strain Wednesday, the <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs" >Cubs</a> had 80 percent of their Opening Day starting rotation and their closer on the shelf.</p><p>It’s hard to win a World Series when dealt that kind of hand.</p><p>And to make a real bad situation even worse, Cabrera wasn’t even the only Cubs starter to hit the IL on Wednesday, with the team putting righty Ben Brown – who’s been excellent in fill-in duty – on the shelf with a neck strain.</p><p>If Cabrera’s visible pain and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/06/23/cubs-edward-cabrera-pitching-injuries-rotation-offseason-trade-jed-hoyer-craig-counsell" >trip off the field via cart Tuesday night</a> wasn’t enough to have some fans seeing the Cubs’ season flashing before their eyes, Wednesday’s news surely did the trick.</p><p>Injuries are a part of the game, sure. But this big a part? What team could survive this?</p><p>“It always seems the worst in the present,” injured right-hander Jameson Taillon told the Sun-Times on Wednesday.