The Chicago Cubs are a little over a week into Spring Training games. 

While Cubs fans shouldn’t take a lot away from these games, there are some things to take note of in the early portion of the spring. There are players who are off to great starts and others who have struggled out of the gate. 

After going through the three early spring standouts a few days ago here at Cubs Roundtable, we will dive into the three most disappointing players so far during these nine Spring Training games. 

It has not been a great start to the spring for Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon. He has allowed seven runs on eight hits with four home runs across 3 ⅔ innings. In both of his starts, Taillon really struggled with location. 

He gave up four runs on four hits in 1 ⅔ innings against the White Sox on Febuary 20 and allowed three runs on four hits in two innings against the Rockies on Febuary 25. More importantly, Taillon’s velocity has been a bit down to begin Spring Training. 

However, there’s no reason to worry about Taillon. He is an established veteran and continues to build up for the regular season. The right-hander will make one more start for the Cubs on Monday before heading off to the World Baseball Classic to play for Team Canada. 

Cubs reliever Porter Hodge entered Spring Training fighting for a bullpen spot on the Opening Day roster. Unfortunately, Hodge has really struggled in his first few appearances out of the bullpen this spring. 

He has allowed seven earned runs across two innings of work in three games. In his most recent appearance on Friday against the Guardians, Hodge gave up five runs on three hits with two walks across ⅔ of an inning. 

With how the start of Spring Training has gone for Hodge, he could find himself in Triple-A to begin the season. The walks remain a problem for him, and he just isn’t hitting his spots in the zone. 

Justin Dean is one of five outfielders currently battling for that fourth outfield spot on Chicago’s Opening Day roster. The Cubs claimed Dean off waivers last month, and the opportunity to win this job is there for the taking. 

Dean, though, is off to a rough start at the plate this spring. He is batting just .166 with one double and 10 strikeouts across 18 plate appearances. Both his chase rate (36.7%) and strikeout rate (55.5%) have also been quite high in those limited at-bats. 

Dean will no doubt have to turn things around over the next few weeks to give himself a chance to make the Opening Day roster. Right now, he is likely on the outside looking in.