Cubs Injuries: A Jameson Taillon Return is Almost Here, Edward Cabrera Update

If the Chicago Cubs can make it out of this week alive, they could finally have some room to breath.

Pitching injuries have pummeled this contending team since the start of the season. They lost young ace Cade Horton only weeks into the year, only for Justin Steele to face a setback in his recovery shortly after. Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, and Jameson Taillon have also joined a long list of relievers with extended stints on the IL.

Nevertheless, with the All-Star break on the horizon, the Cubs may finally be able to get a semblance of their rotation back in the mix. Boyd has already returned in recent weeks and now has two decent starts under his belt. Manager Craig Counsell is still waiting on both Cabrera and Taillon, but they each got an encouraging update to begin the week.

Taillon finally took the mound for his rehab assignment from a hamstring injury on Sunday night. He went 3.1 innings of work, allowing four hits and 1 earned run with a pair of strikeouts. Taillon had 32 of his 45 total pitches land as strikes.

The best performance the Cubs could ask for? Not necessarily, but the goal also isn't for Taillon to take the mound and throw lights out. His job is to go out there, get back to a rhythm, and avoid any further damage. He did that, and the question now is whether they will have him do it again before making a return to the North Side.

As strapped as the Cubs are in the bullpen, it sure feels like the plan could be to get Taillon back in the rotation ASAP. For what it's worth, The Athletic's Patrick Mooney suggested as much on Saturday, saying that this rehab start would put Taillon in line to pitch in the series against the Reds right before the break.

If one thing is for sure, whenever Taillon does come back, the Cubs are going to need him to be A LOT better. He's held a concerning 5.19 ERA over his 13 starts this season. The command just hasn't been the same, as his walk rate has jumped to 8.0 percent after sitting at 5.2 percent or lower the past couple of seasons. Most importantly, though, he has allowed 20 home runs this season, which still has him tied for the fourth-most in the league, despite the missed time.

Taillon is never going to be a light-out guy, but he's been a steady hand for the Cubs in recent years with his deep arsenal and good off-speed stuff. If he can regain his control, there's reason to believe he can provide a pretty major boost during the second half of this year.

Edward Cabrera Making Quick Progress?

Jun 23, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to Bruce Levine of 104.3 The Score, Edward Cabrera was able to begin a throwing program this week. Manager Craig Counsell was encouraged by the development, which comes less than two weeks after he left a start with a hamstring injury and adductor strain. This is Cabrera's second time on the IL this season.

To be sure, there still doesn't appear to be a set timeline for Cabrera, but this does seem to put him in a good place heading into the All-Star break. We should now have a much better idea of when he could go on his first rehab assignment by mid-July.

Like Taillon, Cabrera is another arm who could provide a real jolt of energy in the second half. The Cubs acquired him this offseason to be a key part of their rotation, and the flashes of his movement and strikeout potential have been there at times. With that said, he has a 5.10 ERA for a reason.

Cabrera just hasn't been able to force swings and misses at the same capacity. His whiff rate has dipped pretty significantly. Not only is his change-up being hit a lot more consistently, but his curveball simply hasn't been throwing off batters in the same way. Could all this time off to rethink things help him get back on track?

The Cubs are crossing their fingers.

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