DENVER -- In the latest blow to their pitching staff, the Cubs are anticipating being without veteran Jameson Taillon until the second half of the season.
Prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Rockies, the North Siders placed Taillon on the 15-day injured list due to a left hamstring injury. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said imaging showed a “moderate strain” of the hamstring for Taillon, who will be sidelined for the next six-plus weeks.
“After the All-Star break would be what we’re shooting for,” Counsell said at Coors Field.
Taillon immediately motioned to the Cubs’ dugout after the final pitch of a second-inning walk to the Giants’ Matt Chapman on Sunday. The big right-hander then exited the game and underwent testing on the team’s off-day on Monday. Taillon did not travel with the team to Colorado.
The Cubs recalled righty reliever Ethan Roberts from Triple-A Iowa to fill Taillon’s spot on the pitching staff for now. Chicago also recalled right-hander Tyler Ferguson from Iowa on Tuesday with righty Trent Thornton being placed on MLB’s paternity list.
While Taillon has had his struggles this year (5.19 ERA), his 67 2/3 innings and 13 starts have been valuable for a team that has dealt with repeated blows to its rotation. Cade Horton (right elbow) is out for the season. Justin Steele (left flexor strain) has an unclear timetable for return. Edward Cabrera recently returned from the IL, while Matthew Boyd is expected back soon.
Counsell noted that the 35-year-old Boyd is on target to make a start during the upcoming three-game series in San Francisco, beginning on Friday. Boyd underwent left knee surgery on May 7, but he has responded well in the past few weeks and made Minor League rehab starts with Iowa on May 31 (63 pitches in four innings) and on Saturday (80 pitches in five innings).
Boyd last pitched for the Cubs on May 3, and the rotation as a whole had posted a 5.86 ERA since May 4, entering Tuesday. Cabrera exited with a blister issue on May 20 and hit the IL prior to returning on Friday. Dating back to May 21, the Cubs’ rotation had logged a 6.39 ERA, going into Tuesday’s action. That includes a stellar showing from Ben Brown (0.98 ERA) in that span.
After Taillon’s early, unexpected exit on Sunday, righty Javier Assad gave the Cubs 6 1/3 scoreless innings in what Counsell called a “heroic” performance. Assad could be a candidate to make some starts, but Chicago is still weighing that possibility with Boyd’s upcoming return. One scenario could be to have Assad ready behind Boyd in his initial start off the IL.
“Look, you don’t want to lose your guys,” Counsell said. “We’re missing [Taillon]. We obviously have Matt on his way back. He’s going to start in San Francisco. But, it makes losing somebody else more daunting, obviously.
“That’s just where we’re at. Guys are going to have some opportunities for the next month or so until we get to the All-Star break because of it.”