Impending free agent starter Jameson Taillon tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet that he’s scheduled for flexor surgery next week. The veteran right-hander acknowledged there’s a chance he’ll also require an internal brace repair of his UCL.
The surgery seems likely to cost Taillon most or all of the 2027 season. (It’s highly likely he’d miss the entire year if there’s a ligament repair.) Taillon stressed that he’s going this route because he intends to get fully healthy and continue his career. The former second overall pick turns 35 in November and would be eyeing a comeback for his age-36 campaign if he’s out until 2028.
It doesn’t come as a huge surprise, as Taillon revealed two weeks ago that he was undergoing multiple opinions on the elbow injury that sent him to the shelf on September 4. He tells Davidi that the soreness hasn’t really subsided within the past month. While Taillon weighed non-surgical treatment plans, he decided to go back under the knife and hope for a late-career act after the operation.
Taillon has already twice undergone full Tommy John reconstructions — as a prospect in 2014 and again in August ’19 after he’d established himself as a big leaguer. It’s not uncommon for pitchers to require revisions or another full repair within five to seven years of a previous ligament surgery. It at least doesn’t appear Taillon will need a third full Tommy John reconstruction. Only three pitchers (Jason Isringhausen, Jonny Venters and Tejay Antone) are known to have returned to the big leagues after three Tommy John procedures. They’re all relievers.
This was the final season of Taillon’s four-year, $68MM free agent deal with the Cubs. The signing worked out reasonably well for Chicago, as he pitched at a mid-rotation level for the first three seasons. The wheels fell off this year. Taillon was blitzed for an earned run average close to 6.00 across 15 starts. He missed most of June to a hamstring strain and was designated for assignment around the deadline. Chicago traded the Canadian-born righty to the Blue Jays in a change of scenery deal.
The elbow limited Taillon to three starts as a Blue Jay. He gave up four runs on nine hits across 10 innings. Taillon did make a couple adjustments to his pitch mix — most notably scaling up his cutter in place of his changeup — but didn’t really get an opportunity to put them into practice. It’s possible the Jays will look to bring Taillon back as a depth option on either a cheap two-year deal or a one-year guarantee with a club option to gauge his rehab.
Wish him the best
Good luck to Taillon, see you in 2028. He’ll probably have to settle for a one-year prove it deal.
More likely a two year minor league deal as he can rehab most of next season with a team and maybe make it back by the end of the ’27 season or beginning of ’28
He’s also at nine years’ service time.
@YankeesBleacherCreature
And that is the sound of the other shoe dropping.
Speaking of Blue Jay starters rehabbing how’s Jake Bloss
@Astros71
6+ ERA in ~40IP. FIP and xERA support the ERA. ’27 could be his make or break year.
Any day now
Good luck Jamo. Not so much this year but I enjoyed him as a Cub.
Dang I didnt realize Izzy had 3, one happened while he was with the Mets right? After that he became a reliever. At least it’ll more than likely be during a lockout for his recovery time. Hopefully hes able to make it back like he wants. Izzy did it at age 37-38 and he wasn’t as effective as he was earlier in his career after
Continue career as swingman for a team like the Rockies. I couldn’t believe the Cubs kept giving him starts. Their unwillingness to move on likely cost them the top wild card spot. Replace him with Assad or Rea earlier in the year and they probably win those two games they needed to get home field.
Great dude and a guy with a lot of heart. He’d give you everything he had. Kind of doubt at his age and with that type of double surgery he will make it back. But gotta admire the grit it would take if he could pull it off. Best of luck Jamo. One of Hoyers few decent decisions on pitchers.
Dang, a comeback at that age is tough. He won’t pitch again until he is 36.
What I wonder about in situations like this — who is paying for the surgery and the rehab? He is not under contract, so no team is footing the bill, Does his medical insurance cover this? Or does he cash pay for everything?
Usually the previous contracting team.