Chicago Cubs Starter Impressed in Second Rehab Start

A Chicago Cubs starter impressed in his second rehab start for Triple-A Iowa.

Sep 13, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (50) pitches / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Jameson Taillon of the Chicago Cubs made his second rehab start, throwing 68 pitches in 3 2/3 innings of work for Triple-A Iowa. He allowed one walk, gave up three hits, and struck out four.

The right-hander was initially scratched from a start in Spring Training with back tightness.

With Justin Steele dealing with a hamstring injury, getting Taillon back on the big league team is a priority for Chicago. If the front office is looking for Taillon to have his velocity, he was sitting around his average in 2023. Taillon's average fastball was 94 MPH last season, according to Baseball Savant.

In his start on Friday night, he was sitting around 92-94, according to Baseball Savant. It's a promising sign that his velocity is still there on his fastball.

Factor in that it's also early in the season, and Taillon sitting in the low to mid-90s should bring confidence that he's ready to go.

The Cubs are 7-5 on the year and have won multiple games because of their pitching. However, struggles on the mound were clear in their recent series against the San Diego Padres, allowing nine runs in Game 1 and 10 in Game 3 of the three-game set.

After impressing with the New York Yankees, Taillon's first season in Chicago didn't go as planned. His 4.84 ERA and 4.61 FIP were the worst marks of his seven-year big league career.

With another year under his belt with the organization, the hope is for him to return to the pitcher he was with the Yankees. Taillon, at his best, can give the Cubs 150-plus innings with a sub-4.0 ERA.