Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon’s battle with cancer is well-documented, but what fans might not know is the unconventional way his former teammate, Anthony Rizzo, helped him through one of the most difficult periods of his life.
In a conversation on the “Digging Deep Show,” Taillon recalled a mound visit from Rizzo during a game in Tampa. Facing a challenging inning, Taillon was surprised when Rizzo approached him with an unconventional pep talk.
“I was in Tampa one time, and I think it was like the eighth inning,” Taillon recalled. “I’m falling behind a guy. Rizzo comes out, and like we had talked, we’ve both had cancer and stuff, so he comes out and he’s like, ‘Hey, I know you only have one nut, but like, I want you to pitch right here like you have two. Let ’em hang out.'”
Though taken aback, Taillon managed to strike out the batter, escaping the jam.
Jameson Taillon’s Comeback Journey
Jameson Taillon’s MLB journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Drafted second overall by the Pirates in 2010, he endured multiple surgeries before his official debut in 2016. Then came the cancer diagnosis in 2017, which pushed him away from baseball for some time.
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Incredibly, Taillon returned to the mound just five weeks later and threw five shutout innings against the Rockies.
After five seasons with Pittsburgh, Taillon was traded to the Yankees in 2021, where he played with Rizzo, himself a cancer survivor.
Now, with the Cubs, Taillon has found solid footing in the 2025 season. He is 5-3 with a 3.76 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts across 64.2 innings. He notched his 1,000th career strikeout in April and has delivered quality starts against the Marlins and Rockies in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Rizzo is a free agent after declining his $17 million option for the 2025 season with the Yankees.
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