ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 27: Jameson Taillon #50 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 27, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty
SEATTLE – Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon, who has made two minor-league rehab starts on his way back from a strained back, is set to be activated from the 15-day for his next start, manager Craig Counsell announced Saturday.
Taillon is set to join the team in Arizona, but Counsell said the Cubs haven’t yet determined exactly where he will slot into the rotation.
Taillon threw 68 pitches in 3 ⅔ innings Friday with Triple-A Iowa and felt good coming out of the outing, according to the team.
His only game action this year, including spring training, came in the month of April. His back seized up while warming up for what would have been his Cactus League debut this spring.
If the Cubs keep Taillon on a regular five-day schedule, he could take the mound in the series finale against the Diamondbacks. If they give him an extra day in between starts, he could slot in against the Marlins back at Wrigley Field on Thursday.
Left-hander Justin Steele (strained left hamstring) is also progressing. He threw off the mound in San Diego this past week and ramped up to a 25-pitch bullpen on Saturday in Seattle.
“We’re doing really well there,” Counsell said. “We’re still a ways away here. But the fact that he’s off of the slope is a good sign, for sure, and an important step.”
While the Cubs are in Arizona to begin next week, Steele is scheduled to throw in the pitch lab at the team’s spring training facility. The testing there will provide a baseline. By the end of the Cubs’ next homestand, which runs April 18-25, the Cubs hope to have Steele facing hitters.