Jameson Taillon started his second season for the Chicago Cubs on the injured list. He and the team were hopeful that 2024 would continue his progress from the closing months of 2023. Unfortunately, it did not start the way either side intended.
Taillon’s spring did not start on time after reportedly dealing with calf tightness and “mechanical issues.” When he was warming up for his first start of spring in mid-March, Taillon came up lame after a pitch and immediately grabbed for his back. He needed to be helped from the bullpen area to a cart to be taken to the training facility.
So, the season started with Taillon on the injured list. Then, the staff ace, Justin Steele, immediately joined him on the injured list. He bothered a hamstring during his start on Opening Day. The Cubs should have been in scramble mode. However, Shōta Imanaga, Javier Assad, and a cast of young arms from the minors have kept them afloat while they regained health.
After a couple of rehab starts in the minors, Taillon rejoined the Cubs in Chicago for his first start of the season. He has now taken the mound for the Cubs three times in 2024. It’s a small sample size. However, the Cubs have seen exactly what they were looking for when they signed him thus far.
Jameson Taillon’s Numbers Through Three Starts Are Exactly What Cubs Want To See
On Monday night in Queens, New York, Jameson Taillon took the mound for his third start of the season against the Mets. Had it not been for a dormant offense and the brilliance of the Mets’ starter, Luis Severino, Taillon might have been lined up for a win. He pitched 7.1 innings, giving up just one run on four hits. The Cubs went on to win the game. But it was a no-decision for him.
Monday’s outing was Taillon’s longest of the season, but he’s been giving the Cubs the innings they need from starting pitching. Through three starts, Taillon has 18 innings of work and an earned run average of just 1.50. Again, this is a small sample size to begin the year, but these are the numbers the Cubs and fans hope to see last through the season.
Taillon will remain an anchor for this rotation when Justin Steele returns from the injured list. With the brilliance of Shōta Imanaga and Javier Assad, the Cubs could put together a rotation that could be considered one of the best in the league – if everyone stays healthy and continues to trend in this direction.
Taillon’s next start will be his most important of the season thus far. He is slated to take the mound at Wrigley Field on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs currently lead the Brewers in the National League Central division by just one-half of a game.
