New Cubs reliever just did something nobody else in franchise history has ever done

Genesis Cabrera made Cubs history when he came on in relief of Colin Rea Friday afternoon.
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Seeing left-hander Andrew Abbott for the second time inside a week, the Chicago Cubs' offense had no answers for the Cincinnati hurler on Friday. Meanwhile, Colin Rea lacked his best stuff and the Reds hitters made him pay, chasing him from the game after a bumpy 5 2/3 innings of work.

Craig Counsell went from Rea to a new face in the bullpen: left-hander Genesis Cabrera, who was signed to a one-year deal this week after getting designated for assignment by the Mets and later released after refusing a minor league assignment.

Cabrera was sharp, punching out three over 1 1/3 scoreless innings of work, offering hope he can be the latest reclamation project to settle in as a key member of this bullpen. But it wasn't his body of work that etched him into Cubs lore: it was the jersey on his back.

That's right. Nobody in the history of the Chicago Cubs had ever donned #92 in a regular season or postseason game. Once you get into the higher numbers, there are more than you'd think that are still unused, but most players shy away from trotting out there with them.

Genesis Cabrera joins a unique club of former Cubs players

For what it's worth, only five other players in Cubs history have worn a jersey number in the 90s:

  • #94: Félix Heredia (2001)
  • #96: Tyler Payne (2021)
  • #96: Bill Voiselle (1950)
  • #99: So Taguchi (2009)
  • #99: Todd Hundley (2001)

This is the fourth team Cabrera has worn #92 with: first, with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2020-2023, then the Toronto Blue Jays (2023-2024) and Mets and Cubs (2025). The 28-year-old Dominican has been around the league for years, making his big-league debut back in 2019 but is looking to settle in somewhere after bouncing around the last few years.

The Cubs' bullpen has stabilized after a number of blow-ups in the first month, posting a 2.71 ERA since May 5, which ranks fifth in Major League Baseball. With Cabrera in the fold, Counsell now has a trio of southpaws at his disposal in Cabrera, Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar. Given the struggles of the rotation, keeping this group fresh is a must if the Cubs want to weather the storm until Shota Imanaga returns and/or the front office adds an impact starter ahead of the trade deadline.