Cubs shuffle rotation for Yankees series after banishing Jameson Taillon replacement

The expectation was that Andrew Wantz wouldn't last long after replacing Jameson Taillon on the Chicago Cubs roster earlier this week, and the suspicion was correct. Ahead of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night, the Cubs designated Wantz for assignment while recalling Jake Woodford from Triple-A Iowa.

The Cubs are in a stretch of games where their next off day isn't until August 10. Between pitchers nearing a return from injury and the looming trade deadline, the roster will be somewhat of a revolving door over the next week. Wantz pitched the final two innings of the Cubs' victory over the Cardinals on Wednesday, so the arrival of Woodford does give Craig Counsell a fresh arm in the bullpen.

As was the case for Wantz, Woodford shouldn't be expected to have an extended stay with the Cubs. He's likely viewed as a potential piggy-back option for Javier Assad on Thursday. Along those lines, the Cubs have shuffled their rotation ahead of a weekend series against the New York Yankees at Wrigley Field.

Cubs shuffle rotation one more time before the 2026 trade deadline

Assad was already expected to be the interim replacement for Taillon in the Cubs' rotation. While the spot was originall due up against the Yankees on Friday, Counsell confirmed that Assad will start the series finale against the St. Louis on Thursday.

That positions Shota Imanaga to get the start on Friday, followed by David Peterson on Saturday, and Colin Rea on Sunday.

If you're doing the math at home, that does place the potential debut of a starting pitcher the Cubs acquire at the deadline during the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Along those lines, it also can't be ruled out that Tarik Skubal is making his debut with the Dodgers. Between the Tigers losing four of their last five games, and Shohei Ohtani's current injuries, there's an expectation that LA will have renewed efforts to acquire Skubal.

As for the Cubs at the deadline, if nothing else, they are casting a wide net. The Cubs are believed to be having conversation about both rentals and controllable pitchers. One scenario could see the Cubs trade for a rental like Tyler Mahle, and following the move up with a deal for a controllable arm like Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels or Emmerson Hancock of the Seattle Mariners.

Minimally, at least one starting pitcher needs to be added at the deadline if the Cubs want any hope of an extended postseason run in October.

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