The Chicago Cubs designated veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon for assignment on Monday, a day after he surrendered seven runs in four innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Taillon, 34, is in the final season of a four-year, $68 million contract signed in 2023.

His struggles this year have centered on the long ball; he leads the league with 25 home runs allowed in just 76 innings, including three on Sunday. Hitters are batting .329 off his fastball, over 100 points higher than a year ago. Overall, he was 2-6 with a 5.92 ERA before the move.

Taillon's best Cubs seasons came in years two and three, posting ERAs in the mid-3.00s. He notably shut out the San Diego Padres over four innings in Game 3 of the 2024 wild-card round. Taillon owns a career 3.99 ERA over 10 seasons since debuting with the Pirates in 2016. The Cubs called up right-hander Andrew Wantz, 30, who was 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA at Triple-A Iowa, to fill the roster spot. Wantz appeared in one game with the Tampa Bay Rays this season after previously playing for the Los Angeles Angels.