ATLANTA — Two weeks after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer, Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon was cleared to return to the mound.
Taillon threw a 25-pitch bullpen session with catcher Chris Stewart on Tuesday at SunTrust Park, watched by the Pirates’ training staff and coaches.
Taillon called the day “a really good step.” His recent blood work indicated things are headed in the right direction, and he will continue to have tests taken every couple weeks moving forward. He is on the 10-day disabled list, and the Pirates have not revealed a time line for his return. Todd Tomczyk, the team’s head athletic trainer, said Taillon is “day to day, week to week.”
“Very encouraged,” Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle said. “We’ll take it one step at a time.”
A week after the May 8 surgery, Taillon picked up a baseball and played catch. After a week of building up his arm, he was ready to step back on the rubber. He said he used all his pitches and was encouraged with his energy level. He ran sprints after the bullpen session and remained in the weight room to lift while his teammates took the field for batting practice.
“It’s a good day’s work,” Taillon said. “I’ll sleep pretty good tonight.”
A handful of teammates watched Taillon as he threw, including his roommate and fellow right-hander Chad Kuhl, who threw long toss with him to warm up him for the bullpen. Taillon will play catch again Wednesday in Atlanta.
METS: Searching for answers in a wobbly bullpen, New York optioned struggling right-hander Hansel Robles to Triple-A Las Vegas and recalled lefty Josh Smoker from the top farm club.
The move was a bit surprising because Robles had been a staple of New York’s relief corps since he was called up in April 2015.
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