Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon recorded a win in his season debut on Friday in the Cubs 8-3 victory over the Miami Marlins. Taillon struck out four and gave up one earned run in five innings in his return. The 32-year-old had been recovering from back tightness since early March. It was good for the Cubs and fantasy managers to see Taillon start off on the right foot and start to bounce back from a slightly subpar 2023. He'll have a much tougher test in his next scheduled start on Wednesday night when the Cubs host the Houston Astros.

The Chicago Cubs activated starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (back) from the 15-day injured list on Thursday, optioning right-hander Hayden Wesneski to Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Taillon was set to make his 2024 regular-season debut before Thursday's series opener versus the Miami Marlins was postponed, so he'll instead get the ball in Friday's contest against Miami. While the Cubs hope the 32-year-old right-hander gives their rotation a lift in the absence of ace Justin Steele (hamstring), he isn't the most attractive option from a fantasy perspective after recording a career-worst 4.84 ERA with just 140 strikeouts over 154 1/3 innings (30 appearances) during his debut season in the Windy City last year. Friday still presents a good matchup at home against the 4-15 Marlins, however, and Taillon's 0.54 ERA in 16 2/3 career frames (three starts) versus the Fish is his best mark against any specific club.

Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (back) is penciled in to make his season debut on Thursday in the series opener against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. Taillon started the 2024 regular season on the 15-day injured list but is ready to get his season started. The 32-year-old veteran only threw 68 pitches in 3 2/3 innings in his final minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Iowa last Friday, so nobody should be expecting him to go very deep in his first big-league start of the year. The matchup against Miami is enticing from a streaming standpoint, but Taillon doesn't figure to go deep into this one, making him a pretty low-upside streamer. Now that Taillon is getting ready to return, the impressive Ben Brown could be out of a rotation spot.

Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon's (back) next start will be the team next week. The Cubs open Monday with a three-game series in Arizona and later start a four-game series on Thursday versus the Miami Marlins. Taillon felt great during his rehab start on Friday night and will meet with the team in Arizona to figure out the next steps. The 32-year-old threw 68 pitches over 3 2/3 innings during Friday's rehab start with Triple-A Iowa. He has been sidelined this season with a back injury. Taillon owned a 4.84 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and a 140:41 K: BB across 154 2/3 innings in 2023. Fantasy managers searching for pitching depth in deep-league formats can look to add Taillon to their rosters.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (shoulder) is set to make his next rehab start with Triple-A Iowa. The right-hander made a rehab start with Double-A Tennessee on Sunday. The team hasn't scheduled the next start, but Taillon will make the jump to the Triple-A roster. If all goes well, Taillon could rejoin the Cubs rotation after that start. At worst, Taillon is expected to be back in Chicago by May. Fantasy managers will have to check back for another update later in the week.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (back) faced hitters in a live batting practice session on Tuesday in Arizona, per manager Craig Counsell. Taillon previously threw live BP on Friday in Arizona and then put in a bullpen session with the team on Sunday in Texas. If all goes well in his recovery from a back strain, the next step for Taillon could be a minor-league rehab appearance on Sunday with Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs will re-evaluate his status after those steps, but the 32-year-old right-hander is not a convincing fantasy stash after throwing for a career-worst 4.84 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 140:41 K:BB through 154 1/3 innings in 2023. With Justin Steele (hamstring) on the shelf, however, Chicago's pitching staff could use the reinforcements. Swingman Javier Assad will take on a spot in the starting rotation and warrant streaming consideration in fantasy until Taillon is ready to make his 2024 debut.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-hander Jameson Taillon (back) is scheduled to throw one inning of live batting practice in camp on Monday and then repeat the process on Friday. If all of it goes well, Taillon will be looking at a minor-league game after that. Due to a back injury that he picked up in spring training, the 32-year-old former first-round pick will open the season on the injured list and won't be ready to make his 2024 debut until at least the middle of April. We'll have a better idea of when exactly Taillon could rejoin Chicago's starting rotation once he pitches in minor league games. He doesn't walk many hitters, but Taillon hasn't been dominant and is also a fly-ball pitcher, leaving him very little fantasy upside in mixed leagues at this stage of his career.

Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (back) will be out until at least mid-April. Taillon was scheduled to throw a bullpen session in camp on Friday, but he will need more time to build back up and will open the season on the 15-day injured list. The 32-year-old veteran was scratched from his Cactus League start back on March 9 and is still recovering from back tightness. Taillon has proved to be a league-average starter despite his first-round pedigree and can be avoided in standard 12-team fantasy leagues, especially since he'll be opening the year on the shelf. The former second overall pick went 8-10 last year in his first year with the Cubbies, posting a 4.84 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 41 walks and 140 strikeouts in 154 1/3 innings over his 30 outings (29 starts).

Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon (back) threw a 10-pitch, touch-and-feel bullpen session in camp on Wednesday. Taillon is finally starting to work his way back after being shut down with a lower-back injury almost two weeks ago. As a result, the 32-year-old veteran will start the 2024 regular season on the injured list for the Cubbies, and he's unlikely to pitch in a Cactus League game before next week. Barring another setback with his back, though, it seems reasonable that Taillon can make his season debut in late April. The former second overall pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010 has proven to be a league-average pitcher. He isn't dominant by any means but rarely walks batters. Taillon is off the fantasy radar in mixed leagues after posting a career-worst 4.84 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 41 walks and 140 K's in 154 1/3 frames in 2023 in his first year in Chicago.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (back) is already in jeopardy of missing Opening Day. The good news is Taillon is expected to throw off the mound on Tuesday or Wednesday. The right-hander has reportedly responded well to treatment, so hopefully he won't be forced to miss an extended time. The Cubs have options such as Javier Assad, Hayden Wesneski, or Drew Smyly if Taillon isn't ready to go by the opening series. The Cubs might proceed cautiously given the fact they do have multiple other options.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon was scratched from what would have been his spring debut on Saturday. The veteran pitcher experienced tightness in his lower back during his mound warmup. Manager Craig Counsell said that they will see how he feels Sunday before taking any next steps, but at this point, they're hoping it was just a spasm and they don't believe he'll need to go for imaging on his back. The former first-round draft pick had some very clean starts last season, but also had his share of blow-up games too, which led to a 4.84 ERA (4.34 SIERA), 1.28 WHIP, and 15.1% K-BB%. He's already going after the 300th pick in fantasy drafts, so any delay to his regular season would of course depress his value even further.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon heads to the mound for Sunday's start against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 31-year-old has racked up four wins in a row and five in his last six starts to go with a superb 2.17 ERA (37.1 innings pitched) over the hot streak. On Sunday, Taillon encounters a familiar enemy from his time in the AL East; the right-hander rolled for a 2.62 ERA and 33 strikeouts across six starts (34.1 IP) versus Toronto in 2022. Fantasy managers should continue streaming the soft-tossing Taillon while he's dealing despite what seems to be a difficult matchup.

The Chicago Cubs are listing right-hander Jameson Taillon as their probable starter for Tuesday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies. Left-hander Drew Smyly is lined up to go on Wednesday, while right-hander Kyle Hendricks will get the ball in the series finale on Thursday. Taillon was skipped in the rotation last week with the Cubs playing a two-game series in London over the weekend. The 31-year-old will be plenty rested for this contest, but fantasy managers will probably want to avoid him anyway. He's sporting a rough 6.71 ERA on the year and has given up 11 runs on 19 hits (five homers allowed) while walking eight and striking out 10 in 16 2/3 innings in his last three starts this month.

The Chicago Cubs activated right-hander Jameson Taillon (groin) from the injured list on Thursday, and he will make the start against the Washington Nationals on the road. In a corresponding move, the Cubs optioned pitcher Jeremiah Estrada to the minors. Taillon is returning from a left-groin strain in an excellent matchup against the Nats. However, he'll still carry some streaming risk in fantasy, as he didn't go on a minor-league rehab assignment and will likely be on a pitch count in his first start in two weeks. The 31-year-old right-hander has made only three starts so far in 2023, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 15 hits while walking four and striking out 16 in 14 innings pitched.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (groin) could be activated from the injured list ahead of Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals. Manager David Ross didn't rule out Taillon returning on Thursday when questioned by reporters ahead of Wednesday's contest. The right-hander recently threw a bullpen session as he works his way back from groin strain. Taillon holds a 4.50 ERA with 16 strikeouts and only four walks in 14 innings this season. Fantasy managers will have to check back on Thursday to see if Taillon gets activated.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (groin) threw a bullpen session on Saturday, which marked his first time back on a mound since landing on the injured list with a left-groin strain. He's scheduled to throw off the mound again on Tuesday. Taillon missed his start on April 20 after being diagnosed with a "mild to moderate" left-groin strain. The hope is that he is able to return to the rotation in early May. In his first three outings of the season, Taillon had a 4.50 ERA with 16 strikeouts and only four walks in 14 innings for the Cubs after they signed him to a four-year, $68 million deal in the offseason last December.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (groin), who landed on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with a left groin strain, played light toss on Thursday and will do so again on Friday. Meanwhile, right-hander Codi Heuer (elbow) will throw a one-inning simulated game in Arizona on Saturday. Taillon's injury isn't too severe, so there's a chance he'll be ready to come off the injured list when he's eligible and rejoin Chicago's starting rotation in early May. The 31-year-old right-hander has allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 15 hits while walking four and striking out 16 in 14 innings in his first three starts for the Cubbies. Heuer is recovering after having Tommy John surgery, and there's no timetable for his return to the big leagues.

The Chicago Cubs placed starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (groin) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with a left groin strain and recalled right-hander Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Taillon was scheduled to start on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers but landed on the injured list instead. His groin strain isn't too serious, so there's a chance the 31-year-old right-hander will be able to return when he's eligible in early May. In his first three starts of the year in his first season with the Cubs, Taillon has allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 15 hits while walking four and striking out 16 in 14 frames. In a spot start on Thursday, Assad allowed two runs on two home runs while walking two and striking out three in just three innings pitched.

Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon hurled five scoreless innings in Saturday's loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Taillon allowed two hits while punching out seven batters and two walks. He landed 52 strikes through 85 pitches, before his removal in the sixth inning. Entering Saturday's play, the 31-year-old had allowed eight runs across two starts to open the season. After blanking the Dodgers through five innings, Taillon proved to the Cubs that his $68 million contract was worth every dime. The southpaw now owns a 4.50 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts across 14 innings. He is expected to make his next start on Thursday when the Cubs open a seven-game homestand beginning with the Dodgers.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon has faced 52 batters in four Cactus League starts this spring and hasn't walked a single hitter. It doesn't come as much of a surprise for Taillon, but he also struck out nine hitters on Tuesday while using his new sweeping slider effectively. "It's definitely going to provide a pitch that will allow him to get more swing and miss against a righty," catcher Tucker Barnhart said. "Whether it leads to more strikeouts, I don't know. But whenever you can add another element to your arsenal it's beneficial." Taillon recently thinks he's locked in his new slider. His career-high strikeout rate of 23.2% was set in 2021 and dipped to 20.7 in 2022. The 31-year-old could be a real nice value pick if his new pitch gets him to a new career-high in K rate.