It looked like the Chicago Cubs were going to use another pitcher for Thursday’s series finale against the Washington Nationals to fill in for Jameson Taillon, but the 31-year-old is coming back off the injured list after all.

Following another one-run loss on the road trip, manager David Ross told reporters Wednesday night that Taillon will indeed start on Thursday. Taillon has been on the injured list since April 20, sidelined because of a left groin strain.

While working back to full strength, Taillon threw 45 pitches to ramp up in a simulated game on Tuesday. So, even with the veteran right-hander back on the mound for the Cubs, you shouldn’t expect a long start from Taillon in game four against the Nationals.

There is a good chance that Javier Assad will come in from the bullpen after Taillon reaches a certain pitch limit in the series finale in Washington. Assad was called up from Triple-A prior to Wednesday night’s game, as the team placed starting catcher Yan Gomes on the seven day concussion injured list.

Jameson Taillon Season Summary

Taillon, 31, was placed on the 15-day injured list after the Cubs returned from their six-game road trip in California on April 20. It was a real shame because the veteran right-hander was coming off his best start of the season, allowing no runs in five innings on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He struck out seven, walked two and only gave up two hits.

In his first two starts with the Cubs, Taillon pitched four innings against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field and lost the decision after allowing three runs on seven hits. He also took the loss against the Texas Rangers on April 9, when he gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits in five innings. Obviously the box score doesn’t look pretty in those two starts, but the Cubs also had a few defensive miscues that cost the pitcher.

While Taillon has been on the injured list, the Cubs turned to two pitchers to fill in for him in the starting rotation. On both occasions the Cubs lost.

Spot Starts for Taillon
Javier Assad: 4/20 – 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 K, 2 BB. Cubs lost 6-2 to Dodgers.
Caleb Kilian: 4/29 – 3.1 IP, 7 ER, 10 H, 4 K, 2 BB. Cubs lost 7-6 to Marlins.

It will be interesting to see what the roster move will be to make room for Taillon’s return. It could be rookie reliever Jeremiah Estrada, who has only been used three times in nearly two weeks since he was called up. All three times have been in low leverage situations.

Right-hander Keegan Thompson has been struggling as of late and hasn’t been sharp all season after there were concerns about his velocity during spring training. His overall results have been good, but Thompson has walked an uncharacteristically high amount of batters so far in 2023, nearly at double the rate compared to his 2022 numbers. Could a trip to Iowa or the injured list be in his future?

After Thursday’s game against the Nationals, the Cubs return to Wrigley Field for a six-game home stand against the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.