Cubs Roster Moves for April 18

CHICAGO, Ill. – The Chicago Cubs today activated right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon from the 15-day injured list and infielder Patrick Wisdom from the 10-day injured list. In corresponding moves, right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski and infielder Miles Mastrobuoni were optioned to Triple-A Iowa.

Taillon, 32, was placed on the injured list March 28 (retroactive to March 25) with a back strain. The righthander allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits in 6.1 IP across two rehab starts, one apiece with Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. In his start with the I-Cubs April 12 at St. Paul, Taillon tossed 3.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

The six-foot five-inch Taillon is in his second season with the Cubs after signing a four-year contract with the club in December 2022. He went 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA (83 ER/154.1 IP) in 30 games (29 starts) with Chicago in 2023. In 16 games (15 starts) from July 7-end of the season, Taillon went 6-4 with a 3.38 ERA (34 ER/90.2 IP), including 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA (9 ER/37.1 IP) in six starts from July 7-Aug. 8.

The Winter Haven, Fla. native was drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round (second overall) in 2010 out of The Woodlands High School in Texas. All told, he has pitched in parts of seven major league seasons with Pittsburgh (2016-19), New York-A.L. (2021-22) and Chicago (2023), going 59-45 with a 4.00 ERA (419 ER/942.0 IP)

Wisdom, 32, missed the beginning of the season after he was placed on the injured list March 28 (retroactive to March 25) with a back strain. He reached base safely in eight of his nine rehab games with Triple-A Iowa, batting .407 (11-for-27) with four doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, a .528 OBP and a 1.417 OPS. During the rehab stint, Wisdom tallied four multi-hit games and two three-RBI games.

The right-handed hitting infielder recorded his third-straight 20-plus homer season for Chicago in 2023, batting .205 (55-for-268) with eight doubles, one triple, 23 home runs and 46 RBI in 97 games. He averaged one home run every 11.65 at-bats, the fourth-best mark in the majors (min. 250 AB) and began the season by homering nine times in the team’s first 19 games through April 21.

The six-foot two-inch Wisdom has played in 380 career major league game, batting .214 (247-for-1,153) with 51 doubles, one triple, 80 home runs and 184 RBI with St. Louis (2018), Texas (2019) and Chicago (2020-23). He was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft by St. Louis out of St. Mary’s College (Calif.).

Wesneski, 26, was recalled yesterday and earned the win in Arizona, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings in relief with two strikeouts.

Mastrobuoni, 28, has played in eight games for Chicago this season, going 0-for-12 (.000) with an RBI.

The Cubs play the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field tomorrow at 1:20 p.m. CT in a game that can be seen on Marquee Sports Network and heard on 670 The Score and 1200 WRTO.