With right-hander Jameson Taillon expected to begin the season on the injured list, there is a scenario in which the Chicago Cubs could open with four left-handers in their rotation.
Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele delivers against the White Sox during a Cactus League game on March 1, 2024, in Mesa, Ariz. MESA, Ariz. — Jameson Taillon’s day-to-day improvement has him cautiously trending in the right direction, a good sign for the Chicago Cubs.
“With how right-handed we’ve been in the past, it’s amazing for us even be thinking or talking about having four lefties in the rotation,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said Saturday. “It’s just so unique, but one thing Counsell’s talked about is we want to take the guys who are going to give us the best chance to win and we’ll figure out the ways that we can piece that together and move guys around accordingly.
“How you start is definitely not going to be how you finish and when you know you’ve got movable pieces and guys that can pitch in different scenarios, it gives you a lot of flexibility to do a lot of different things,” Hottovy said of the rotation to start the season. Smyly’s veteran status is no guarantee he has the inside track to a rotation spot, but the work he put in the offseason — adding a splitter and slider — to address his weaknesses didn’t go unnoticed by the Cubs. Hottovy said it’s a credit to Smyly for making big changes, and he believes they have seen the payoff this spring.
“I don’t know what role I’m going to be pitching in, but I’m more concerned with just trying to dial in my craft, my pitches and then feel confident and comfortable going into the season.”
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