Cubs' Jameson Taillon set to be activated off the IL for his next start

SEATTLE — Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon, who has made two minor-league rehab starts on his way back from a strained back, is set to be activated from the 15-day injured list for his next start, manager Craig Counsell announced Saturday.

Taillon will join the team in Arizona, but Counsell said the Cubs haven’t determined exactly where he will be slotted in the rotation.

Taillon threw 68 pitches in 3⅔ innings Friday with Triple-A Iowa and felt good coming out of the outing, according to the team.

His only game action this year, including spring training, came in April. His back seized up while warming up for what would’ve been his Cactus League debut.

If the Cubs keep Taillon on a regular five-day schedule, he could take the mound in the series finale against the Diamondbacks. If they give him an extra day between starts, he could slot in against the Marlins at Wrigley Field on Thursday.

Left-hander Justin Steele (strained left hamstring) also is progressing. He threw off the mound in San Diego this past week and ramped up to a 25-pitch bullpen session Saturday in Seattle.

“We’re doing really well there,” Counsell said. “We’re still a ways away here. But the fact that he’s off of the slope is a good sign, for sure, and an important step.”

While the Cubs are in Arizona to begin the week, Steele is scheduled to throw in the pitch lab at the team’s spring-training facility. The testing there will provide a baseline. By the end of the Cubs’ next homestand, which runs from April 18 to April 25, they hope to have Steele facing hitters.