Taillon a bright spot in Pirates’ dismal stretch
PITTSBURGH — The Pirates’ chances of making a fourth consecutive postseason appearance are problematic, but one bright spot in the dismal stretch the team is currently in is rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon.
Though his record is just 1-3 in nine starts — not including Wednesday night’s game against the Cardinals — since sitting out since June 30-July 18 because of shoulder, Taillon has a 2.95 ERA while holding opponents to a .229 batting average and .634 OPS during that span.
The 24-year-old’s fastball averages 94 mph and he also features a hammer curveball while also mixing in an occasional changeup. However, what also impressed scouts about Taillon is his mound presence.
“He just doesn’t rattle,” a scout from an American League team said. “He doesn’t look like a rookie. He stays calm when he gets in tough spots. You combine that stuff and that poise, and you’ve got something special.”
Taillon made his major league debut June 8 and is 3-4 overall with a 3.25 ERA in 14 starts. At Class AAA Indianapolis, he went 4-2 with a 2.04 ERA in 10 starts.
The remarkable part of Taillon’s success is that he sat out the previous two seasons while recovering from Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery and an operation to repair a sports hernia. Other than the short DL stint, he has to be durable by pitching a combined 144 2/3 innings in 24 starts between the majors and minors.
Taillon’s previous career high for innings was 147 1/3 innings in 2013 but Taillon said he still feels strong and the Pirates aren’t overly concerned about his workload.
“We’re certainly monitoring him but we don’t have a strict innings count with him,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. “It’s more the number of pitches he throws, particularly the number of high-stress pitches. We’re happy with where he is at now, though.”
While it would be easy for Taillon to want to push through any fatigue he might feel over the final weeks of the season, he insists he will be honest with management and the training staff. He has already taken steps to ensure he can make it through the season, including cutting back on some of his between-starts throwing and weightlifting sessions.
“I feel great, but I’ve never pitched in September and I’m aware of that,” Taillon said. “With that being said, I’m just going to be smart and be aware. I’m not going to overwork it.”