Finally, a day in which the Cubs weren’t announcing a trip to the injured list.
And instead of just no news being good news, there actually was some good news for an injury-ravaged pitching staff: Veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon is nearing his return to the mound.
Taillon, who last pitched June 7, threw a successful session of live batting practice Tuesday at Wrigley Field, and the Cubs are aiming to have him make a minor-league rehab start this weekend — likely Sunday — manager Craig Counsell said.
If all goes well, Taillon might make his first start off the IL during the Cubs’ final series before the All-Star break against the Reds in Cincinnati.
The Cubs are dealing with so many injuries — they have an entire rotation and late-inning mix of relievers on the IL simultaneously — they’re simply in need of bodies at the moment.
But a return by Taillon would figure to provide a much bigger spark and solidify one spot in a rotation currently being pieced together.
‘‘That’s a big part of it,’’ Taillon said Tuesday of his desire to get back. ‘‘I told Craig the other day after I threw a good bullpen [session], I was like, ‘I’m probably about to start getting annoying.’ I was really trying not to be, and then with all the injuries and [the fact] we’re playing well, we’re swinging it well — I think we’re turning a corner — you just want to be a part of that, especially this time of the year.
‘‘It’s not early anymore; it’s time to go. I’m excited to help.’’
Of course, Taillon also will need to deliver results on top of health. Before going down with a strained hamstring, he led the majors in home runs allowed and still ranks third in that dubious stat with 20, tied with teammate Shota Imanaga. He has a 5.19 ERA.
The silver lining to his layoff has been that it has provided him with some time to iron out any issues.
‘‘I’m really excited about . . . some of the things we’re working on,’’ Taillon said last week in New York. ‘‘It’s a good time to address some things. When you have a little bit of a break from results, you actually get to work on some stuff.’’
Right-hander Cade Horton is out for the season, right-hander Ben Brown and left-hander Justin Steele might find themselves limited to relief appearances if they make it back and right-hander Edward Cabrera is still awhile away from returning, so this is progress on the injury front for the rotation.
A week ago, left-hander Matthew Boyd was part of that injured group, too, but he’s back. Taillon might be next. That’s a big deal, given the Cubs’ injury challenges.
Help on the way?
As president Jed Hoyer and the front office continue to scour the baseball world for pitching reinforcements in the month-plus leading up to the trade deadline, a familiar face might be the next fill-in.
Drew Pomeranz, a left-handed reliever who was a big part of the Cubs’ bullpen last season, is back with the organization on a minor-league deal, pitching for Triple-A Iowa after being cut loose by the Angels.
Pomeranz posted a 2.17 ERA in 57 games with the Cubs in 2025. An early-season trade acquisition, he rose to a prominent spot in the relief corps.
Considering all the injuries that have struck the bullpen in recent days — relievers Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, Hoby Milner and Ethan Roberts are on the IL — might Pomeranz be the proverbial next man up?
‘‘We need options,’’ Counsell said, ‘‘so that’s certainly an available option.’’
