Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs Veteran Shines In Return From Injury

Jameson Taillon was excellent in his season debut for the Chicago Cubs.

Tyler Maher

Apr 19, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon pitches against the Miami Marlins.
Apr 19, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon pitches against the Miami Marlins. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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The Chicago Cubs had to wait an extra day for Jameson Taillon's season debut, but it was worth the wait.

Taillon started for the Cubs on Friday after Thursday's game against the Miami Marlins was postponed due to inclement weather. It was Taillon's first start of the season after opening the year on the injured list with a back strain.

After making a pair of rehab starts in the minors, Taillon returned to Chicago's rotation on Friday afternoon and quieted the Marlins at Wrigley Field, yielding just one run on three hits over five innings as the Cubs cruised to an 8-3 win. He walked none and struck out four.

The 32-year-old right-hander showed good command en route to his first win of the season, throwing 54 of his 73 pitches for strikes and throwing a first-pitch strike to 17 of the 18 batters he faced. The only run he allowed came on Bryan De La Cruz's solo homer in the top of the fourth, by which point Taillon's teammates had already hung seven runs on the board and knocked Miami starter A.J. Puk from the game.

Taillon faced little resistance from a slumping Marlins team that fell to 4-16 with the loss. He retired the first 10 batters he faced before surrendering the solo shot and was never in serious danger at any point during the afternoon.

Taillon is in the second year of a four-year, $68 million contract with Chicago. He went 8-10 with a career-worst 4.84 ERA last season, so his strong start to 2024 is encouraging. His next start will come at home against another struggling team -- the Houston Astros -- next week.

The Cubs improved to 12-7 with the win and have now won five of their last six. They'll look to stay hot during Saturday's doubleheader against Miami.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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