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With Injury, Future Remains Up in Air For Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Jameson Taillon
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- With Injury, Future Remains Up in Air For Toronto Blue Jays Pitcher Jameson Taillon
(William Purnell-Imagn Images)
The future is currently very much up in the air for Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Jameson Taillon , who is on the injured list with continued elbow problems.
Acquired from the Chicago Cubs right before the trade deadline, Taillon went on the injured list after two appearances. He came back and threw two innings last Friday against the Kansas City Royals before getting sidelined again.
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As noted by Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet, Taillon's MRI is currently being looked at by Dr. Meister, which is never what any player wants.
This situation is fairly unique and complex, so let's take a look at some of the factors below.
Taillon, 34, is a 10-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Pirates , New York Yankees , Chicago Cubs and Blue Jays who has gone 84-66 in his career with a 3.99 ERA. The Cubs designated him for assignment earlier this summer, only for the Jays to acquire him right around the time that they traded Kevin Gausman to Chicago.
He is 2-6 this season with a 5.65 ERA between the two organizations
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jameson Taillon (56) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. William Purnell-Imagn Images
Why is this situation unique?
1) Taillon is a free agent at the end of the season, which is just three weeks from now. It's certainly possible that the Jays could bring him back in free agency, but it's unclear if that will happen. As a result, the team may not necessarily want to give medical advice on a player that will be out of their watch in short order, and Taillon may want to focus on his individual thoughts and what is best for him, knowing that he won't be rehabbing under the watchful eyes or guidance of Toronto doctors.
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2) Furthermore, once the lockout hits on Dec. 1, players will be able to have no contact with team staff, including medical personnel. As a result, it seems like Taillon is almost completely on his own for this rehab. He won't be on a team once the season ends, and he won't be able to communicate with anyone once the lockout commences.
As a result, he has to think about the best plans for himself and how he can handle things on his own.
3) Taillon has already had two Tommy John surgeries, so that's a factor in this as well.
Up next
After a difficult 6-5 loss against the Athletics on Monday, the Blue Jays are back in action on Tuesday at 9:40 p.m. ET. They enter play at just one game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the wild card race.
