Photo: David Banks / USA Today
Photo: David Banks / USA Today

Chicago Cubs place Jameson Taillon on injured list


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CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today placed right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 17) with a left groin strain and recalled right-handed pitcher Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa.

Assad, 25, will make tonight’s 6:40 p.m. CT start against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field.

The six-foot one-inch Assad last month tossed 5.2 shutout innings in two relief appearances for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. In three Spring Training outings for Chicago he pitched to a 2.57 ERA.

Assad this season broke camp with the major league club for the first time in his career and made two relief appearances for Chicago, pitching to a 12.46 ERA (6 ER/4.1 IP), before he was optioned to Iowa, April 10. He last pitched with Iowa, April 14 vs. Omaha, allowing two runs in 2.2 innings, walking one and striking out two.

Signed by Chicago as a non-drafted free agent in July of 2015 out of Tijuana, Mexico, Assad made his major league debut last season, going 2-2 with a 3.11 ERA (13 ER/37.2 IP), 20 walks, 30 strikeouts and a 1.46 WHIP in nine games, eight starts. He finished the season with 11.1 scoreless innings spanning his final three starts, including 5.0 shutout innings at Philadelphia on September 29 and 5.1 shutout frames October 4 in Cincinnati.

In all or part of seven minor league seasons, Assad is 25-36 with one save and a 3.97 ERA (234 ER/530.1 IP) in 113 games, all but eight as a starting pitcher. He has walked 174 and struck out 481 batters to go along with a 1.37 WHIP.

Taillon, 31, is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA (7 ER/14.0 IP) in three starts for Chicago this season, his first after signing a four-year major league contract in December of last year.

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