Jameson Taillon to pitch for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic

It's not exactly the biggest news of the day regarding the Chicago Cubs and a starting pitcher, but veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon will toe the rubber for Team Canada in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Taillon previously pitched in the WBC for Canada in 2013, and he'll once again suit up for his parents' home nation this year. He was also eligible to pitch for the United States given that he was born in Florida, but Team USA already has a loaded rotation that will feature fellow Cub Matthew Boyd.

His commitment to the WBC now makes four current Cubs players who have locked in their spot in the tournament.

Jameson Taillon's WBC commitment raises preparation questions for Cubs pitchers

With Taillon and Boyd now gearing up for the international tournament, it's worth expressing some concern about the fact that 40 percent of the Opening Day rotation will be going full bore in the WBC without the full ramp-up in spring training.

There's been some history of players getting hurt during the event — remember Edwin Diaz's brutal injury three years ago? — and pitchers often require the most amount of time to get their arms ready for Opening Day. Boyd already has durability concerns, and Taillon is 34 years old; aren't the Cubs going to be worried about them not getting their usual pre-season work in?

Well, the picture was the same last year, when the Cubs had to prepare for the Tokyo Series, which took place on March 18 and 19. Prepping for an earlier timeline is nothing new for this team, and you can be sure both pitchers will have a strict innings or pitch limit placed on them by Chicago.

Also, it's worth noting that the North Siders have quite a bit of pitching depth, just in case an injury does befall Taillon or Boyd. Cade Horton should be ready for his star turn in 2026, and trade acquisition Edward Cabrera will bring a lot of electricity to the starting five. With Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown behind them, it's safe to say there are contingency plans in place.

Other Cubs who are confirmed to be participating in the 2026 WBC include Pete Crow-Armstrong (Team USA), Jonathon Long (Chinese Taipei), and now-former-Cub Owen Caissie (Canada). Players who have participated in the past include Javier Assad (Mexico), Daniel Palencia (Venezuela), Miguel Amaya (Panama), Seiya Suzuki (Japan), and Shota Imanaga (Japan).

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will take place from March 5-17. Team Japan is the reigning champs, while Team USA finished as the runner-up in 2023.