Currently six and a half games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central lead, the Chicago Cubs are trending towards one of the NL's Wild Card spots. After a strong first half in which the Cubs held the division lead, the Brewers' 14-game winning streak that ended a few days ago helped turn the tide in their favor. As Chicago preps for a potential postseason run, the team got updates on injured starting pitchers Michael Soroka and Jameson Taillon. The Chicago Tribune's Meghan Montemurro shared the news from Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy about Soroka on Wednesday.
“He’s feeling better every single day, starting to progress to where he wants to be,” Hottovy said about Soroka's status to the Tribune (via Bleacher Nation). “So, I think we’ve kind of turned the corner on the throwing side. Now it’s just making sure the buildup over this week is where we want it to be, but he looked good for the first one of really getting on it.”
The trade deadline acquisition pitched just two innings in his Cubs debut before a shoulder injury. Now, the hope is that the former Washington National is back in the rotation before a possible playoff run. If so, then the veteran could help out as a starter or a long reliever. Either route feels possible. If Chicago can get Soroka and Taillon back to help out current rotation members Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and Cade Horton, then the rest of this season's slate should be at least somewhat sooner.
Cubs look to get starters back for postseason push
Taillon hasn't pitched as well as he did in 2024. Currently in the third year of a four-season pact with the Cubs, Taillon left his start against the Los Angeles Angels with a groin issue. Those kinds of injuries can be tricky, but Chicago could use his arm back in the rotation. Taillon's ability to eat innings and work deeper into ball games. In a postseason push, that's crucial. Cubbies manager Craig Counsell discussed how the veteran is recovering from the groin issue.
“Some level of concern still, definitely not a go for sure yet,” Counsell stated in the same report. “So, we’ll give ourselves some more days to figure it out. … If it resolves itself in a couple days, which is certainly possible, then we should be good.”
With Soroka and Taillon on the mend, Chicago's hopes at a strong playoff run will only grow. Both right-handers have postseason experience, which along with Boyd's exploits will help Imanaga and Horton adjust. Can the Cubs get back to October and make some noise? If so, then the on and off struggles from the last few months could only help in the long run.
