Imagine a veteran right-hander who’s been the Cubs’ reliable workhorse for the past two seasons, quietly delivering quality starts and eating innings like it’s his job—well, because it is. This same pitcher who went 12-8 with a 3.27 ERA in 2024, making 28 starts and racking up 125 strikeouts across 165.1 innings, now finds himself sidelined with an injury that came completely out of nowhere. Want to guess what happened?
It was supposed to be just another routine bullpen session, the kind this seasoned starter has done thousands of times throughout his career. That starter? Jameson Taillon. But sometimes, baseball has a cruel sense of timing. During what should have been a standard workout, disaster struck in the most unexpected way possible. on the very last sprint of the day, when the finish line was literally in sight, Taillon strained his right calf.
The Cubs’ starter couldn’t hide his disappointment when discussing the injury that landed him on the 15-day injured list. “I mean, definitely better today. Just obviously disappointed. Unfortunately, it’s kind of part of being an athlete and, you know, I can rest my head knowing I was working hard and doing the right things. So, um, it stinks, but I’ll come back from it,” he admitted. The moment itself was particularly crushing because of how routine everything seemed. “Yeah, I was just running sprints like I always do after my bullpen. Um, unfortunately, I was on my last rep and was just literally almost done for the day, and felt it, um, kind of grab on me, so, um, again, just a typical bullpen day, um, working through it, and it just came out of nowhere.” Taillon explained.
MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Chicago Cubs at Toronto Blue Jays Aug 13, 2023 Toronto, Ontario, CAN Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon 50 reacts after being taken out of the game during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Toronto Rogers Centre Ontario CAN, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKevinxSousax 20230813_sns_si3_156
What makes this injury particularly unique for Taillon? “No. No, I’ve never had anything like it. Luckily, until this point, I really haven’t had a ton of soft tissue injuries in my career. It’s been a couple of major things, and besides that, I’ve been pretty healthy.” The silver lining? The MRI revealed “just a moderate strain”.
Taillon has compiled a 7-6 record with a 4.44 ERA in 17 starts this season while maintaining a solid 1.11 WHIP, making his absence particularly costly. Cubs manager Craig Counsell expects Taillon to “miss a pretty significant amount of time—more than a month.” This calf strain strikes at the worst possible moment as the Cubs pursue significant roster moves, forcing the team to recall left-hander Jordan Wicks from Triple-A Iowa to help fill the rotation gap.
Cubs turn to creative pitching solutions as all-star break approaches
The Chicago Cubs find themselves scrambling for answers after losing starter Jameson Taillon to a right calf strain, but manager Craig Counsell isn’t panicking about traditional roles. “Flexen has been stretched out so he’s a candidate to throw more innings. Don’t worry about that word (starter), is what I would suggest.” Counsell explained before Saturday’s 8-6 loss to St. Louis.
After a brief pause, Counsell added with characteristic candor: “I don’t mean to preach there.” But preaching about pitchers as “out-getters” rather than rigid categories has defined Counsell’s managerial approach throughout his career. Chris Flexen, who surrendered three runs in 3⅔ innings Saturday, appears ready to fill the Taillon void in New York, though not necessarily as a traditional starter.
The Cubs used Drew Pomeranz as an opener Saturday, ending his remarkable streak of perfection that had captivated baseball fans. The left-hander had posted a 0.00 ERA across 26 games and 23.1 innings since joining the bullpen in late April, making him the last major league pitcher with a perfect ERA. His streak ended dramatically when Thomas Saggese’s first-inning single charged him with two runs.
With Monday’s off day providing breathing room, Counsell has multiple options for the upcoming Yankees series. Matthew Boyd could start Friday in New York on regular rest, potentially delaying the rotation decision until next Saturday. The timing couldn’t be better, as the All-Star break offers additional recovery time for both Taillon and the Cubs’ pitching staff adjustments.
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