Veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon was designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs on Monday, one day after giving up seven runs in four innings in his start against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Taillon, 34, is in the final season of a four-year, $68 million contract he signed in 2023. His struggles this year came mainly via the long ball; he leads the league in home runs allowed despite a lengthy stint on the injured list with a hamstring strain. Including the three served up Sunday in Pittsburgh, Taillon has given up 25 home runs in just 76 innings. Hitters are batting .329 off his fastball, over 100 points higher than they did a year ago.
Overall, he was 2-6 with a 5.92 ERA before Monday's move.
Taillon's best seasons with the Cubs came in the second and third years of his contract, when he posted ERAs in the mid-3.00s. One of his best games came in October, when he shut out the San Diego Padres over four innings in Game 3 of the wild-card round, a 3-1 win by Chicago.
Taillon has a career 3.99 ERA over 10 years, having broken in with the Pirates in 2016.
The Cubs called up right-hander Andrew Wantz to take Taillon's place on the roster. Wantz, 30, was 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA at Triple-A Iowa. He appeared in one game with the Tampa Bay Rays this season after previously playing for the Los Angeles Angels.