Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Jameson Taillon prepared for a healthy season after injuries cost him the last two years
BRADENTON -- Standing 6-foot-5 and armed with the tools that have garnered high praise on prospect lists each season, Jameson Taillon fits the part of a future Pittsburgh Pirates pitching sensation.
Getting to that point without any additional injury roadblocks is a trick Taillon could finally master in 2016.
The right-hander has undergone a new training regimen and diet during the offseason to alleviate the chances of an injury popping up that would rob him of valuable playing time.
On Thursday at Pirate City, Taillon said he lost about 15 pounds during the offseason.
"We'll see if lighter and
leaner helps me stay on the field for a whole year," said Taillon, who Baseball America ranks as the club's fourth-best prospect.
Born in Lakeland, Taillon moved to Texas when he was a child. He morphed into a can't-miss prospect during his high school career.
That ability led to the Pirates selecting Taillon with the second overall pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
From there, the ascension through the Pittsburgh farm system culminated with a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis in 2013.
Then disaster struck.
"I threw five innings in spring training one day," said the 24-year-old Taillon, a former Bradenton Marauder. "Felt great. Threw really, really well. My velocity was even up, actually, that day. And then in the middle of the night that night, I felt like a tugging on my arm. Mine didn't snap on one pitch. It felt like a fire inside."
Tommy John surgery was needed to repair his elbow.
The surgery cost Taillon the 2014 season.
"I thought, for me, one of the toughest things was last year coming into spring, you see everybody, everyone's so excited for the season," Taillon said. "That got me on a personal high. I was really, really excited. And then everyone leaves for the season. And it gets quiet around here again. And it's just you, no one else again."
But with the success rate across the clubhouse and MLB recovering from Tommy John surgery, Taillon had the reassurance to fight through.
He made seven extended spring training appearances last year. Then an additional bump in the road arose when abdominal pain surfaced and required surgery to repair his inguinal hernia.
"A lot of guys with the talent like Jameson, it slows his development a little bit, but he's still a young guy with loads of potential," Pirates relief pitcher Rob Scahill said. "I'm excited to see what he's going to do for our team."
And once Taillon returned home in October, the offseason training to shave weight and improve his body began.
That meant heeding the advice of Pirates closer Mark Melancon, who first mentioned Fairchild Sports Performance in Houston as a place Taillon should work.
FSP enabled Taillon to get immersed into an individualized program and work with a nutritionist.
"I know about eating clean and stuff, but kind of being held more accountable and having a true schedule to stick to helped me a lot," he said.
At his peak, Taillon weighed 250 pounds during the post-elbow surgery time. Now healthy, he's looking forward to 2016.
"(Just) being normal, not having a different colored shirt on and being able to participate in everything and getting to stretch with everyone," Taillon said.
Jason Dill, sports reporter, can be reached at 745-7017 or via email at jdill@bradenton.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason__Dill and like his Facebook page at Jason Dill Bradenton Herald.
This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Jameson Taillon prepared for a healthy season after injuries cost him the last two years ."