Patrick Wisdom Will Open Season on IL, Jameson Taillon Out Until Mid-April

Craig Counsell announced Friday that Patrick Wisdom will indeed start the season on the IL as the result of a back issue. Jameson Taillon has likewise battled a bad back and will be out until at least mid-April as he ramps up. The righty will throw a bullpen Friday and the team will determine his timeline from there.

As a reminder, Wisdom is actually a very solid bench bat despite what the folks on Facebook believe.

In other injury news, the Cubs are hoping Nick Madrigal can play in a minor league game by Sunday.

This opens the door for Garrett Cooper to make the roster as a right-handed bench bat, and a decision may have already been made. Cooper had until 1pm CT Friday to inform the Cubs whether or not he intended to opt out of his deal should he not be added to the 40-man, then the team has until 11am CT on Sunday to either add or release him.

In light of that information, the timing of this Wisdom news appears to be more than mere coincidence. For what it’s worth, David Peralta, Carl Edwards Jr., and possibly Dominic Smith and others are under the same timeline.

Ed. note: Meghan Montemurro of the Tribune says the opt-out dates are different, but has not provided specifics. These dates are typically dictated by the CBA, but it’s possible the players agreed to different terms.