With the Chicago Cubs in the thick of a postseason race, continuing to send veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon to the mound may no longer be a suitable option.

Comments on Sunday from manager Craig Counsell after Sunday's atrocious outing opened the door to Taillon possibly being skipped over when his spot in the rotation comes around the next time. If that were to happen, Chicago has a few options it could turn to.

Three short-term replacements

it's almost a sure thing that the Cubs will be acquiring a pitcher ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline, meaning only one start in Taillon's spot will need to be made. 

Here are the three best short-term options to replace Taillon in the rotation on Friday against the New York Yankees.

Javier Assad

Assad replaced Taillon earlier in the season when he went on the injured list and quite frankly, he deserved to remain in the spot when Taillon returned.

Assad has made 17 appearances this season, eight starts and nine relief appearances. He's 6-1 with a 3.86 ERA across 65 1/3 innings pitched and Chicago is 13-4 this season when Assad makes an appearance.

Aaron Civale

Civale was recently acquired by the Cubs and has made two relief appearances since coming over. He has a 4.15 ERA across 4 1/2 innings pitched in a Chicago uniform but he's still a viable option.

Civale is stretched out and can provide length the Cubs need while in the middle of a stretch with 17 games in 17 days. Civale won't carve through a lineup, but five quality innings is doable.

Jordan Wicks

Much like Civale, Wicks hasn't been impressive this season, pitching to a 10.45 ERA across 10 1/3 innings. He was solid in his final two outings before being optioned back to Triple-A Iowa, collecting a save in each of them.

Wicks certainly isn't the long-term answer, but while Chicago works through the process of making a trade, someone has to start Friday's game.

A new arm should be in the fold next week

With one of the worst pitching staffs in the league this season, it would be shocking if Chicago did not acquire a starting pitcher ahead of the trade deadline.

If a move is indeed made for a starter, Taillon could get the short end of the stick and his tenure with the Cubs may end just a few short months before his contract expires.