Cubs' projected starters against the Athletics could quickly become nightmare fuel

After a scheduled off-day to open the month, the Chicago Cubs get back in action on Tuesday night, welcoming the Athletics to Wrigley Field on Lou Gehrig Day. That contest opens a stretch of schedule that should (at least in theory) give Craig Counsell's club a chance to right the ship a bit and get back in the NL Central race.

They open with three against the A's, then welcome the San Francisco Giants to town this weekend before heading out west to open a six-game road trip against Colorado and San Francisco. The offense will obviously need to do its part, but this week, it'll be all eyes on the arms on the mound - namely Jameson Taillon and Shota Imanaga, who are slated to start Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

The same ailment is affecting Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon

Both veterans were major weak spots in the staff in May and the Cubs need more out of both sooner rather than later, especially as they await the returns of Matthew Boyd and Edward Cabrera. Taillon, in particular, is yet to find his footing this season and, in terms of fWAR (-0.8), has been the worst pitcher in all of Major League Baseball.

In the final season of the four-year, $68 million deal he signed prior to the 2023 season, Taillon is looking to re-invent himself and get back to what's made him such a reliable piece of the puzzle for the Cubs over the last three years. It all boils down to one thing, really: limit home runs. His 19 home runs allowed lead all of baseball and have kept him from finding success this year.

Like the Cubs, as a whole, Imanaga has been all over the board this year. In March and April, the left-hander posted a 2.88 ERA, allowing just three home runs in six starts and punching out 10 batters per nine. Then, in May, it all went sideways. His ERA exploded, climbing to 5.80 in a half-dozen starts, and he allowed 10 homers in roughly the same number of innings; opponents' slugging percentage jumped nearly 200 points month-over-month.

Sandwiched in-between Taillon and Imanaga is Colin Rea, who, again, is doing his best to help keep things on an even keel while a banged-up Cubs staff gets healthy. Funny enough, he's the guy I'm least worried about of the three. Getting Taillon and Imanaga right is a must, even with the staff trending in the right direction health-wise.

Let's hope that starts on Tuesday night.

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