Jameson Taillon hit another benchmark in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, throwing four times in one week for the first time since going under the knife last August.
Taillon celebrated the occasion by posting a video of him throwing to Twitter, where he showed different arm action in his delivery:
First time throwing 4X in a week. Feeling strong, and moving right along in the process 💪 Enjoying every step of this rehab journey, and learning tons along the way! pic.twitter.com/Ef2IVG24hk
— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon19) May 7, 2020
For a comparison, here is Taillon last April:
His arm action is shorter in the Twitter video than it was last year, and he is keeping the ball closer to his body during his windup.
Taillon is throwing in front of team officials, as he is one of only a few players still remaining in Pirates City in Bradenton, Fla.. The team sent almost all of their non-rehabbing players home in March after the COVID-19 shutdowmn.
Taillon will not pitch in the majors in 2020, as the return timetable from a second Tommy John surgery is 16-18 months, according to Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk.
“So, even though I’ve thought about (coming back in 2020), I get shut down pretty quickly every time I’ve brought it up," Taillon said during his last conference call in March.
Tomczyk and Taillon have the same goal: For him to pitch for the next seven years, not just 2020. A mechanical tweak and shorter arm action could play a part in protecting that right arm.
Taillon has consistently matched his rehab projections. In the last update from Tomczyk, he said Taillon recently completed one of two scheduled rest periods and is currently building arm strength.
To continue reading, log into your account:
