The Chicago Cubs hope the return of Jameson Taillon can help solidify their playoff position when the right-hander opposes the Atlanta Braves in the rubber game of the teams’ three-game series.
Chicago (82-63) ended its three-game losing streak by beating the Braves 6-1 on Tuesday and holds a six-game lead in the NL wild card race. Atlanta (65-80) has lost three of its past four games.
A victory would give Chicago its first season-series win over Atlanta since 2017.
Taillon (9-6, 4.15 ERA) will face off against Atlanta ace Chris Sale (5-4, 2.38) in the series finale.
Taillon was placed on the injured list with a groin strain suffered on Aug. 24 against the Los Angeles Angels. It was the latest setback for Taillon, who spent time on the injured list in July with a calf strain.
“We were able to get some great treatment on it, trust the trainers on what they wanted to do,” Taillon said. “It felt like, after five or six days, we knocked all the soreness out of there. We were able to have a consistent, good program. So it doesn’t really feel like I even missed that much time.”
Taillon has made four career starts against the Braves, going 1-1 with a 2.86 ERA.
Sale, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, missed 62 games with a fractured left ribcage that kept him out from June 19 to Aug. 30.
In his most recent outing on Friday against Seattle, Sale threw 6 2/3 innings and allowed one run on four hits with nine strikeouts for a no-decision in a 4-1 Braves victory. In two starts since returning from the injured list, the left-hander has a 1.42 ERA over 12 2/3 innings.
As Sale’s season went, so did that of the Braves, who will miss the postseason after seven consecutive appearances.
“I came in and I was sitting at my locker like, ‘What if I didn’t get hurt? What if I was able to stay upright this whole year?’ It’s a tough game to play,” Sale said. “I’ve done it a lot in my career with injuries. I’ve beat myself up plenty of nights over stuff like that. Again, it’s just one of those weird things where — especially that injury, it wasn’t for lack of effort or not being able to handle whatever it is. It was just a freak thing on a hustle play.”
Sale has made six career appearances against the Cubs, four of them starts, going 3-1 with a 0.93 ERA. Sale has struck out 41 hitters and walked only six in 29 innings against the Cubs. He has not faced Chicago this season.
The Cubs placed outfielder Kyle Tucker on the injured list with a right calf injury. He appeared to be ready to return to the lineup but expressed discomfort while going through some pregame drills on Tuesday. Catcher Moises Ballesteros was recalled to replace him on the roster.
“I was hoping to feel good today and coming in and hopefully getting in there,” Tucker said. “But obviously, it didn’t really work out like that, so that part is kind of frustrating. I’ve just got to take care of it for now and get back whenever I can.”
-Field Level Media
