The Chicago Cubs are struggling to field a starting rotation, as injuries have depleted their depth. To add insult to those injuries, the club has lost 20 of its last 27 games. A season in which the Cubs were expecting a deep postseason run has turned into a complete disaster in the blink of an eye.
The latest starter to go down is right-hander Jameson Taillon. After walking the first hitter of the second inning, he left his start against the San Francisco Giants with a left hamstring strain.
Following their 2-1 loss to the Giants, manager Craig Counsell said the right-hander is headed for the injured list. Taillon will undergo imaging to determine the injury severity and possible return to play.
How long the right-hander is shut down will impact his return to the rotation. A Grade 1 hamstring strain is likely a four-week absence. Anything worse than that could be detrimental to the Cubs.
Jameson Taillon Becomes Latest Cubs Starter to Hit the IL
GettyJameson Taillon is having a nightmare 2026, the last year of his $68 million contract with the Cubs.
With the Cubs hanging on dearly in the postseason race, every injury setback increases that difficulty. Taillon will become the fifth Chicago starter to hit the injured list this season.
Taillon is in the final year of a $68 million contract he signed with the Cubs before the 2023 season. The right-hander wasn’t having a strong season, as he was one of three National League starters with an ERA and FIP higher than 5.00. However, the Cubs have been running out of healthy bodies.
In addition to the injuries, the rotation has been ineffective. Right-hander Ben Brown is the only pitcher in their current rotation with an ERA under 4.70 on the season. In his return to the rotation, he has a 1.44 ERA in six starts. The Cubs are 4-2 in those starts.
Chicago also got some positive injury news concerning their rotation over the weekend. Left-hander Matthew Boyd has rejoined the team after his rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on June 6. That indicates he’ll be activated from the injured list when his turn comes up again on June 12. That will come as a separate move, with the travel day to Colorado giving them some flexibility.
Can the Cubs Reinforce Their Rotation in Time?
GettyJed Hoyer has a mandate to address the rotation, but only if the team can shake off this nightmare skid.
With another starter coming down, the question will be if the Cubs can keep their season alive long enough to be buyers. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer called their position player group the backbone of their team when speaking to Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
Hoyer says that if they are buyers, they will focus on pitching. But he also feels the team’s level of play over the last month hasn’t warranted such discussions either.
However, in their last 27 games, they’ve gotten very little offense. Since May 9, they collectively carry a .211/.302/.333 slash line and an 84 wRC+. That ranks as the fourth-lowest mark in MLB over that stretch.
The pitching has been equally as bad. Chicago carries the fourth-worst ERA (5.27) and the lowest fWAR (-0.5). The collapse has been on all fronts, and the Cubs seem to be quickly slipping out of the Wild Card Race.
Entering play on June 8, Chicago is 34-32. They’re half a game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot. But for them to contend, they need to shake off this skid.
Cubs Get Bad News on $68 Million Starter After Giants Loss