Jameson Taillon Set To Return

Pittsburgh Pirates’ right-handed starting pitcher Jameson Taillon will return from the disabled list against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

The Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation is about to get a much needed boost. On Sunday, the team announced that Jameson Taillon would come off the disabled list and rejoin the rotation on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers. A corresponding roster move will be announced on Tuesday.

Tuesday night will be Jameson Taillon’s first start since June 29th against the Seattle Mariners. Once Jameson Taillon returns on Tuesday night, the Pirates will finally have Taillon and Gerrit Cole as the top two starters in their starting rotation. And I expect Tyler Glasnow to join them soon.

Jameson Taillon was placed on the disabled list on July 4th with ‘shoulder fatigue.’ However, Taillon was and remains healthy. The Pirates placed Taillon on the disabled list just to let him rest for a few weeks, and to help monitor his innings this season.

In four starts for the Pirates this season Jameson Taillon has pitched 28 innings. In those 28 innings pitched Taillon is averaging 6.75 K/9, 1.61 BB/9, 1.29 HR/9, and he has a WHIP of 1.25. This has resulted in Jameson Taillon having a 3.86 ERA, 4.17 FIP, 3.45 xFIP, and a 0.3 WAR so far this season.

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As I said above, the Pirates will announce a corresponding roster move to make room for Jameson Taillon on Tuesday. There are a couple of different ways I could see things shaking out with the roster to make room for Taillon. I believe one of three roster moves will be made to accommodate Jameson Taillon on Tuesday Gregory Polanco being placed on the disabled list, Jon Niese being designated for assignment, or Chad Kuhl being optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

While it is very possible that Gregory Polanco is placed on the disabled list on Tuesday, if he is I believe Josh Bell would be recalled from Triple-A and that it would not be the corresponding move for Taillon. Jon Niese is a pitcher I do not foresee lasting much longer in Pittsburgh, but I do not think he is designated for assignment on Tuesday. That leaves Chad Kuhl.

Personally, I believe Chad Kuhl will be optioned to Triple-A to make room for Jameson Taillon on Tuesday. Chad Kuhl will start for the Pittsburgh Pirates today, and it will be his fourth Major League start. Through the first three Kuhl has a 6.08 ERA, 5.04 FIP, 6.10 xFIP, and a 1.73 WHIP. Chad Kuhl has also had a very flat fastball that has been up in the zone and has gotten crushed.

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Regardless of how Kuhl pitches today, I expect him to be optioned back to Triple-A on Tuesday to make room for Jameson Taillon. Then when the Pirates need their fifth starter again on Saturday, I expect Tyler Glasnow to be recalled and for the Pirate rotation to settle in as Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Tyler Glasnow, Francisco Liriano, and Jeff Locke.

On Tuesday night young stud Jameson Taillon will return to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation. When this happens the Pirates will be two-thirds of the way to having the top three of Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, and Tyler Glasnow that Pirate fans, and team officials, have dreamed of for a few years now. Also, this should give the Pirates a rotation very capable of earning a fourth consecutive postseason berth.