As rumors swirl about the Major League Baseball season perhaps extending as late as Christmas, some of the unintended benefits of the awful coronavirus situation could be injured players whose rehabs are progressing while no one else is playing.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon is not one of the players reaping those benefits.

The organization will not adjust Taillon’s timeline for a return from Tommy John surgery in light of the currently suspended season, Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said.

“This postponement is not going to change what our big-picture vision is for Jameson, and that is that he not pitch in Year 1 after his (surgery). It’s to pitch for five-plus years,” Tomczyk said during a conference call with Pittsburgh reporters. “Although the short-term goal is to get him back into competition when he and his arm and the team and the coaching staff deem it necessary, this is for the long haul.”

Jameson Taillon and Chad Kuhl know something about willpower, and theirs will be tested when #Pirates pitchers and catchers conduct their first workouts of spring training Wednesday https://t.co/asFkpTiG8T

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) February 12, 2020

Taillon underwent his second his ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction procedure (better known as Tommy John surgery) in mid-August. Recovery time generally is pegged in the 12-month range, but that can vary and it also does not include a ramping-up innings period, minor league rehab or other factors.

During a normal season, it would be impractical, at best — and potentially reckless, at worst — to plan for Taillon joining the Pirates so late in 2020. But the covid-19 pandemic at least made the notion of pitching in the majors in 2020 a theoretical question to be considered.

After all, reports from the Los Angeles Times and The Athletic on Wednesday floated the idea of the World Series extending until Christmas.

Taillon is among a small group of rehabbing pitchers who have remained at the Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., and Tomczyk said the former No. 2 overall draft pick recently has progressed to throwing from 120 feet.

“He’s continued to look well working diligently with our analytics group and our pitching coaches — through video — on making sure he made and is making the necessary mechanical adjustments with every landmark,” Tomczyk said. “With Jamo, we are making sure that with every landmark he makes (that) it’s a collaborative approach. (With appropriate) social distancing, from video to performance to physical therapy to pitching coach, to make sure he’s on right path with his throwing.”

Taillon, who also has had a season lost to a sports hernia and a separate bout with testicular cancer, made seven starts last season as a 27-year-old, but he’d complained about right arm discomfort throughout and dating to 2019 spring training. It initially was diagnosed as an elbow flexor tendon strain that was to prevent Taillon from throwing for about a month.

As the summer went on and Taillon’s am did not appreciably improve, flexor tendon surgery was scheduled for August. When Dr. David Altchek began to perform that procedure, he determined Taillon also needed the Tommy John.

Pittsburgh Pirates MLB Players Association representative Jameson Taillon did confirm one important detail in a conference call with reporters on Friday afternoon:https://t.co/vcBqGy2kYp

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) March 13, 2020

The Pirates’ union player representative, Taillon was coming off his best season: 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, two complete games and a shutout in 2018. He has a 3.67 ERA over 82 starts with the Pirates since making his MLB debut in 2016.

He is under contractual control of the Pirates through the 2022 season.

“In regards to Jameson,” Tomczyk said, “this guy’s DNA just bleeds motivation and determination.”

Love baseball? Stay up-to-date with the latest Pittsburgh Pirates news.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---