Jameson Taillon (hamstring) nearing rehab start

Taillon came out of Friday’s 48-pitch minor league rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo without any issues. He’ll throw a bullpen session next week before the Blue Jays determine his next steps. The 34-year-old veteran hit the injured list with forearm tendinitis earlier this month after just two starts with Toronto.

The only positive takeaway is that initial imaging doesn’t seem to have turned up any structural issues after Taillon left Monday’s start against the Red Sox with forearm discomfort. The 34-year-old veteran heads back to the shelf after making only two starts for Toronto following his exit from Chicago’s rotation back in late July. It’ll likely be Simeon Woods Richardson taking his spot in the Blue Jays’ rotation against the Yankees this weekend.

Taillon was replaced by Simeon Woods Richardson after throwing just 61 pitches over four shutout innings. He finished with three strikeouts and also issued three walks. He’s in clear jeopardy of missing his next start against the Yankees on Saturday. It would presumably be Woods Richardson taking his spot in Toronto’s rotation. There should be additional clarity on his status in the coming days.

Taillon showed some extra velocity today, particularly on his secondary pitches; while his fastball was up 0.7 mph from his season average, he was 2.1 mph higher with his cutter and 2.9 mph better with his curve. It didn’t stop him from giving up eight hard-hit balls, including a Jose Altuve homer, but he probably needs to keep throwing harder if he’s going to have a chance of being useful. His current 91.8 mph average on his fastball is down from 92.3 mph last year and a peak of 95.3 mph from his second big-league season with the Pirates in 2017. If Taillon remains in the rotation, he’ll likely face the Red Sox on Monday.

The decision to pitch Taillon in Houston bumps Dylan Cease back to Thursday’s series opener against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. It’ll be José Soriano making his Toronto debut on Friday as they transition to a six-man rotation on a temporary basis.

The Cubs designated the veteran right-hander for assignment earlier in the week, so they were willing to flip him for anything that they could get at this stage. The 34-year-old hurler holds a miserable 5.92 ERA across 76 innings in his 15 starts this season. It’s unclear if he’ll get an opportunity to pitch out of the rotation for the Blue Jays or if he’ll be utilized out of the bullpen initially instead.

It won’t send shockwaves through the baseball universe, but this decision qualifies as a major surprise since the Cubs have reportedly been aggressive in trade talks to add starting pitching depth leading up to next week’s trade deadline. Taillon’s ongoing struggles are a big reason why as he’s floundered to an inflated 5.92 ERA across 76 innings over 15 starts this season. The 34-year-old veteran was obliterated for seven runs over four innings by the Pirates over the weekend, which appears to have been the final straw for the Cubs. They’re going to be extremely aggressive on the trade front to bolster their rotation in the coming days.

Taillon took the loss by allowing three homers on the afternoon. His season ERA sits at a career-worst 5.92. His strikeout percentage is up from the past couple of years, but it’s come with a career-high walk rate. Publicly available command models suggest he isn’t locating his below-average stuff as well as he used to. He’s an easy starter to shy away from in his next matchup against the Yankees.

Taillon gave up five hits, walked two and struck out six. Making his first start in the majors after a six-week absence due to a hamstring strain, Taillon allowed four runs and threw 75 pitches in 4 1/3 innings. He has a 5.38 ERA. Taillon has 65 strikeouts in 72 innings and has won two of 14 starts. He’s lined up to face the Pirates on the road this weekend.

Taillon gets the ball for Monday’s series opener against the Tigers at Wrigley Field following a nearly six-week absence recovering from a hamstring strain. The 34-year-old veteran has struggled to a pedestrian 5.19 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 59/23 K/BB ratio across 67 2/3 innings through 13 starts. He boasts and extensive track record of impact fantasy production, but a quick glance at his underlying metrics suggests those days might finally be coming to an end. He’s not a recommended option at this juncture.