It’s his birthday – anyone heard from Edwin Jackson?

Yesterday was Edwin Jackson‘s 31st birthday. We at Cubbies Crib, of course, wish him a happy birthday. But then we have to ask – where is he? Where have the Cubs sent him?

Since being sent to the disabled list with a strained lat, there has been very little, if any, news regarding his rehabilitation. Now, most Cubs fans aren’t clamoring for his return. Jackson was struggling this season perhaps worse than in any year of his big league career. The “best” news to come out of the injury was that Jackson would likely be unable to become the next 20-game loser.

With two seasons left on his deal at a price tag of $11 million per season, Jackson is in most peoples’ eyes the worst signing in the Theo Epstein era. Jose Veras is probably a close second, but they rectified that mistake, releasing the veteran following a dismal start to the 2014 campaign. As this season nears an end, the Cubs continue to audition arms in hopes some of these ‘reclamation’ projects (Jacob Turner, Felix Doubront) turn out to be great finds. With the Cubs recent success rate in those endeavors, I like their odds.

More from Chicago Cubs News

His starts were becoming hard to stomach. With less than a handful of “quality” starts, not much was going right when Jackson went to the hill. Once he headed to the DL, I offered my own theory as to what was going on. I had just had the conversation the day before with my father about that exact possibility. Following his next start, he heads to the disabled list.

It appears the journeyman right-hander will end the season at 6-14 across 26 starts for the Cubs. There stands a fair chance he may have thrown his last pitch as a member of the club – that, of course – being contingent on finding a willing trade partner this offseason. But with an astonishingly-high earned run average of 6.09 – over a run higher than in his disappointing 2013 season – and a WHIP of 1.619 – one of the highest marks of his career – Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer can’t expect too great of a return in any deal.

We’ve had more than consistent updates with the progression of Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo since the pair sustained injuries in recent weeks. But we haven’t heard a peep since Jackson went down. Sadly, no one really seems to be asking either.

It’s all speculation. He may simply be spending time with family, rehabbing, and getting ready for next season. Maybe the Cubs may have shipped him off to the Isle of Misfit Toys. Or to Texas, nobody is looking there these days either.

Schedule