CHICAGO -- Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon was placed on the injured list Friday with a right calf strain, the team announced before its game against the St. Louis Cardinals. He is expected to miss "more than a month," according to manager Craig Counsell.
Taillon, 33, injured his calf on his last wind sprint after a bullpen session Thursday.
"He's going to miss a pretty significant amount of time," Counsell said.
Taillon was 7-6 with a 4.44 ERA in 17 starts for the Cubs, who just got left-hander Shota Imanaga back from a hamstring injury. Now they will have to navigate at least the rest of July without another key starter.
"There's a little room for us to be flexible right now," Counsell said, citing the upcoming All-Star break. "We'll use that to our advantage, and we'll go from there."
The Cubs recalled left-hander Jordan Wicks to take Taillon's spot on the roster, though he won't go directly into the rotation. Instead, the Cubs will throw a bullpen game Saturday against the Cardinals and "go from there," Counsell said.
Wicks, 25, went 1-3 with one save, a 4.06 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 12 appearances (11 starts) with Triple-A Iowa this season. In his past five starts dating to May 18, he posted a 1.65 ERA with 20 strikeouts, compared to just three walks, a 0.86 WHIP and a .186 opponent batting average.
The Cubs might also consider a bigger role for right-hander Chris Flexen, who has been fantastic for them out of the bullpen. Flexen, 31, has a 0.62 ERA in 16 games, including a four-inning stint late last month.
"He's a candidate to be stretched out for sure," Counsell said. "He's prepared to do a little bit more."
Cubs brass have already stated they are looking for starting pitching before the trade deadline later this month. Counsell was asked if Taillon's injury increases that need. He didn't take the bait.
"The trade deadline isn't until July 31," Counsell said. "I'm focused on the next week or 10 games before the All-Star break."
