Jameson Taillon's complicated Cubs tenure hits snag with latest injury

With Justin Steele shelved for the year and Shota Imanaga having just returned from a lengthy IL stint, the Chicago Cubs were already frantically searching for rotation reinforcements heading into July. That situation just became dramatically more urgent with the news that Jameson Taillon will miss more than a month with a calf injury.

The veteran right-hander got off to a dazzling start to the 2025 campaign, posting a 2.99 ERA in 13 starts from the start of April through June 12. But since then, the wheels have come off for Taillon, who has an 8.78 ERA over his last three starts - all of which have been Cubs' losses.

That epitomizes Taillon's entire Cubs tenure. Cubs fans need no reminder of how things started in 2023, when he carried a 5.51 ERA through his first 25 starts with Chicago before settling in during the season's final month. Brought in to be a consistent centerpiece of the rotation, he was completely ineffective for most of the year, allowing a career-worst 1.6 HR/9 across 154+ innings of work.

There have been plenty of ups and downs for Jameson Taillon

Thankfully, he rebounded in a big way last year, making 28 starts and tossing 165 1/3 innings for manager Craig Counsell. He cut down the free passes and long balls, and the results showed those improvements. Taillon finished the year with a 3.27 ERA - the second-lowest mark of his career, bested only by his 2018 campaign with the Pirates.

In 2025, Taillon looked more dialed in than ever in April and May, but the home runs became a bigger problem as the year progressed. He allowed three or more homers in a game on three separate occasions - and leads all Major League pitchers with 22 home runs allowed on the season. A 4.44 ERA and 5.17 FIP, numbers which have ballooned of late, fall well short of the expectations fans, the team and Taillon himself have.

How he returns from this IL stint will be critical for a Cubs team that has ridden a surprisingly dominant bullpen and powerful offense to first place on July 4. Regardless of what additions Jed Hoyer and the front office make in the weeks to come, Taillon has a key role to play for Chicago if they want to make a deep October run.