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Earlier on Friday, it was announced that Chicago Cubs‘ right-hander Jameson Taillon would head to the IL. Now, manager Craig Counsell says that Taillon will miss more than a month. That is terrible news to hear, as the All-Star break is a week away.
The Cubs have already lost Justin Steele for the season. Shota Imanaga is back from an injury, but he has missed some time this season. Javier Assad is also on the 60-day IL and won't return until August or September, according to 670 The Score. Eli Morgan is also going to miss a lot of time. The point is, is that the Cubs cannot afford to lose arms. The rotation is very thin, and there are currently only 4 starters in the rotation. The Cubs may have to make another move very soon to fill the 5th rotation spot. As of now, Imanaga, Mathew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Colin Rea are the 4 guys.
Jordan Wicks is on the roster right now but has allowed three runs in 2.0 innings this season. He has a small sample size, but Wicks has started 17 career games for the Cubs over the past three seasons. He may be utilized as a starter moving forward if Counsell needs him to be. Wicks' career ERA is 5.23, so the Cubs may want to look in a different direction. The MLB Trade Deadline is approaching, and the Cubs could use a starting pitcher.
Counsell also said that right-handed pitcher Chris Flexen has an opportunity to be stretched out further into games moving forward. Flexen has been unreal this season with a 0.62 ERA in 29.0 innings pitched. He has allowed just two earned runs all season, and that came against the Seattle Mariners on June 22. It is funny because Flexen was in Chicago last season, but with the White Sox, where he lost 20 straight starts, yes … 20 straight. It is safe to say he is happy being out of the Southside.
The Cubs have options. However, they cannot afford to lose any more potential starters if they want to remain the top team in the National League Central.
