CubUgly

Yeah, Happ's RH plate appearances are starting to look like Taillon's starts unfortunately. It's hurting the team. Now granted when they bring in a righty in the 6th or so he can turn around and his defense has been as good or better than it's ever been - so there is somewhat of an argument against platooning him for those reasons, but man he's been bad RH.

Ultimately Jason the bottom line it would border on negligence to pitch him again this year and all of this is just semantics....so however you want to do it - that's the reality. Phantom IL does not work for you I get it and you make a solid case. Not as cut and dried for me but so what. He just can't pitch again for the Cubs this year.

I actually think Taillon is that good of a teammate. Course we never really know these guys like we think - just my perception. Of course he wants to pitch, but judging by his comments yesterday, even he thinks deep down knows he's unpitchable.

It seemed to me that's what they did with Hendricks? Did it not seem that way to you? For me it would not be a "work through it" thing, Nobody is going to pick up Taillon or trade for Taillon right now and he certainly is not going to pitch in the minors. Would a fake IL be as embarrassing to him as a DFA? maybe, I don't know. But maybe it would give him an opportunity to still hang with the team and be part of whatever run they make. DFA would not.

I can guarantee that whole locker room wanted him to find something in that start, as did I. But he did not and it was even worse than expected - hell had one in the first that nearly went out of the park. In the post game he said he was not naive to his situation; he knows he's hurting the team. But he thought he could still find something. Sadly I don't agree and the Cubs just really can't afford literally giving away another game starting him. Fake IL ?

Yes, CC and the Twinkle's are going to have to have a hard conversation with him. I just can't see justifying running him out there against the Yankees. We've already punted two wins against lesser teams.

It pains me but there is no way you can let him start again. He even seemed resigned to it in his post game interview. How could you not? I'll forever be grateful for his two post-season starts but you can't pitch at this level if you give up three homers a game.....you just can't. Especially when the first two are homer or strikeout guys that can only homer on egregious mistakes, which JAMO obliged with.

If not DFA'd the Hendricks fake IL. I watched the post-game interview. It was painful. Everyone in that locker room wanted Jamo to show he belonged. I wanted Jamo to show he belonged. He didn't. The first two guys that hit homers off him were like the twin brothers of a Rob Deer/Joey Gallo love connection. if you hang a meatball they will hit it a mile, If you throw a good pitch or even a kind of good pitch, they will strike out. He threw meatballs to both of them. I just can't see any scenarios where he starts again or pitches again. These games are too important to run him out again just because we all like him. The stakes are too high. We pretty much forfeited the last two games he pitched before the game started. Assad is the MUCH better option until if and when we get someone before the trade deadline. This is a no brainer and it pains me to say cause that dude was nails last post season.

I will forever be grateful to Taillon for those two playoff starts last year...both big time step ups. But there has been very little reason having seen all his starts this year to have any realistic expectation he can get back to that or even close. If he gives up two early bombs today or some such, how many more starts can a team in a playoff race reasonable afford to keep trotting him out there?

Pirates offense has been REALLY good this year too. Outside of Ozuna who looks to be washed, their lineup has been hitting really well. Second in the majors in runs scored. Well done by Shota.

Baseball is a game of constant adjustments. Shota was for much of his first year here a very good MLB pitcher. He had and injury - had teams adjust to exploit his weaknesses and he fell on some hard times, but he's smart - he's always looking for the next adjustment to get back to where he was. Been pretty darn good his last 7 starts. Let's see how it plays out.

Nico with less speed and defensive prowess?

I thought after the first Montero's stuff was really nasty. I think only Dansby's fly out in the 5th was maybe the only ball hit near the barrel. But I expected to do better against their bullpen guys and we really didn't and that was disappointing. This team with the pitching we have at this time ain't winning any 1-0 or 1-1 get em in extra inning games. Gotta score more runs.

Honestly more worried about the Pirates - lots of young and talented pitching with years of team control.

Agreed, he settled down well later, but the first 2 or 3 innings they were hitting rockets off him - a couple likely would have been out the day before. Now one could argue he was pitching a certain way because the wind was blowing in but that contact was hard.