Cubs activate Taillon

The Chicago Cubs have activated right-hander Jameson Taillon. Taillon is a dual Canadian-American citizen who pitched for Canada in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

April 18, 2024

Official Chicago Cubs News Release

CHICAGO, Ill. – The Chicago Cubs have activated right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon from the 15-day injured list and infielder Patrick Wisdom from the 10-day injured list.

In corresponding moves, right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski and infielder Miles Mastrobuoni were optioned to triple-A Iowa.

Taillon, 32, was placed on the injured list March 28 (retroactive to March 25) with a back strain. The righthander, who is dual Canadian-American citizen, allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings across two rehab starts, one apiece with double-A Tennessee and triple-A Iowa. In his start with the I-Cubs April 12 at St. Paul, Taillon tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

The six-foot five-inch Taillon is in his second season with the Cubs after signing a four-year contract with the club in December 2022. He went 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA in 30 games (29 starts) with Chicago in 2023. In 16 games (15 starts) from July 7 until the end of the season, Taillon went 6-4 with a 3.38 ERA, including 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA in six starts from July 7 to Aug. 8.

Taillon was drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round (second overall) in 2010 out of The Woodlands High School in Texas. All told, he has pitched in parts of seven major league seasons with Pittsburgh (2016-19), New York-A.L. (2021-22) and Chicago (2023), going 59-45 with a 4.00 ERA.

Wisdom, 32, missed the beginning of the season after he was placed on the injured list March 28 (retroactive to March 25) with a back strain. He reached base safely in eight of his nine rehab games with triple-A Iowa, batting .407 (11-for-27) with four doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs, a .528 OBP and a 1.417 OPS. During the rehab stint, Wisdom tallied four multi-hit games and two three-RBI games.

The right-handed hitting infielder recorded his third-straight 20-plus homer season for Chicago in 2023, batting .205 with eight doubles, one triple, 23 home runs and 46 RBIs in 97 games. He averaged one home run every 11.65 at-bats, the fourth-best mark in the majors (min. 250 AB) and began the season by homering nine times in the team’s first 19 games through April 21.

The six-foot two-inch Wisdom has played in 380 career major league games, batting .214 with 51 doubles, one triple, 80 home runs and 184 RBIs with St. Louis (2018), Texas (2019) and Chicago (2020-23). He was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft by St. Louis out of St. Mary’s College (Calif.).

Wesneski, 26, was recalled on Wednesday and earned the win in Arizona, tossing four scoreless innings in relief with two strikeouts.

Mastrobuoni, 28, has played in eight games for Chicago this season, going 0-for-12 (.000) with an RBI.