With less than a month until Opening Day of the 2024 MLB season, there are still uncertainties about the Chicago Cubs’ starting rotation. Will Jameson Taillon, who has yet to appear in a spring training game, be ready for Opening Day?
Cubs fans now understand why the right-hander has yet to appear in Cactus League games. According to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, Taillon is addressing a mechanical issue in his delivery as well as discomfort in his calves.
Taillon struggled in the first half of the 2023 season after joining the Cubs last offseason, posting a 6.15 ERA before the All-Star break. However, from July 18 to the end of the season, he had a 3.70 ERA with 77 strikeouts and 19 walks in 82.2 innings pitched. Taillon’s overall record was 8-10, with a 4.84 ERA, 1.276 WHIP, and 140 strikeouts in 154.1 innings.
Perhaps it’s all for naught, but for a veteran who signed a four-year $68 million contract with the expectation of being a top-of-the-rotation arm, mechanical concerns entering camp could be a red signal. Taillon apparently pitched three innings in a simulated game on Monday, so the expectation is that he’s just working out a few small difficulties.
If the Cubs want to make a noise in 2024 and win the Central Division, their starting rotation must fire on all cylinders. Taillon, in particular, has had a strong rebound season.
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