Prospect Q&A: Taillon ready for comeback

About a year ago, Jameson Taillon returned to Bradenton, Florida, with the very real chance of leaving Spring Training on a plane to Pittsburgh. The Pirates' star right-hander -- drafted between Bryce Harper and Manny Machado in 2009 -- was hoping to follow fellow Indianapolis ace Gerrit Cole to the Majors if he could impress Pirates brass in camp.

Taillon never left.

He became part of a growing trend around baseball: elbow pain led to doctors' visits, exams and the three words no pitcher ever wants to hear. The 23-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery to replace an elbow ligament in his right arm, a procedure that typically sidelines players for 12-18 months but also is often an effective long-term solution.

Taillon, a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, went 5-10 with a 3.73 ERA in 26 starts in 2013 before spending last year pushing through a painful rehab. A power pitcher, he remains the Pirates' second-ranked prospect entering 2015, a season he hopes will see him finally take a Major League mound.

We caught up with the 6-foot-5 prospect ahead of a pivotal year in his career:

MiLB.com: So we all know you had Tommy John surgery last April. Before I ask about the rehab, what was the actual surgery and process like to go through? What's it like to hear those words from a doctor?

Jameson Taillon: I think when it happened, it was tough to wrap my head around. I got three opinions by some different doctors, but by the end with Dr. [David] Altchek, to hear him say it, it was almost relieving -- I knew I just had to prepare myself for the surgery, cut my losses and get it done with.

MiLB.com: Actually, a better question: are you sick of being asked about Tommy John surgery?

Taillon: Yes and no. A lot of people around me ask because they care, they want to know how I'm doing. At the same time, I feel like I'm actually close to being a player again, so I have no problem talking about it now. I got sick of talking about my arm though. I wanted to escape talking about it and get away from it all. I found it's mostly family and friends checking up, because they care. After I'm done [with rehab], I don't want to be asked about it too much.

MiLB.com: What's the immediate aftermath of that surgery like? Can you move your arm or sleep on it?

Taillon: It frickin' hurt. I think you always hear about Tommy John being a common surgery, and a lot of pitchers have it. A lot of the recovery is you miss a year and that's that. But what caught me off-guard is how bad it hurt and how I had to learn to bend my arm again, how to grab things with my arm. I had a ligament taken out of my leg and put into my arm, so I had leg rehab also. It was pretty grueling and it hurt. The coolest part is it's such a progression every week. I had a new challenges and programs to work on, and that definitely helped.

MiLB.com: What did the Pirates tell you about their plan following the procedure?

Taillon: I think for 2014, we didn't talk too much about baseball; 2014 was about my throwing program and rehab exercises and things I needed to stay on top of -- weightlifting and getting stronger. They were supportive, they didn't actually get too ahead of themselves and talk about an immediate plan. I think it'll be more about looking at that once we get to Spring Training.

MiLB.com: I know you basically spent the last year in Florida rehabbing but have also been flying around to the Dominican Republic, Las Vegas and back home in Texas. How much of those Florida days were spent fishing or at the beach? What's this whole year been like?

Taillon: Yeah, I was in Bradenton for all the time this offseason. I had a couple weddings to go to, but I've been stationed here in Florida. I got lucky, one of my good buddies in the system is Clay Holmes, he got the same surgery before me, so we've tried to stay busy. We've definitely gone fishing, we chartered some boats for redfish and go fishing, we go to the beach, we bought a Wii and started playing Mario Kart, we got a soccer ball, we got some bikes to go out and ride for extra conditioning. We try to stay busy and keep our minds off it. We've gotten into a good routine.

MiLB.com: You started throwing again in July. How nerve-racking was that first session?

Taillon: Yeah, at the very end of July. At that point, there was still some tenderness, so you're cautious and protective. Everything we had done, it's not like we'd just picked up a ball for the first time and started throwing. I'd done tosses off a knee, I felt like I was ready. Every throw or distance or challenge or pitching off a mound, I think it's natural to get a little nervous for that.

MiLB.com: You recently said 2014 could be "one of the most important years of my career/life" and mentioned you formed good habits and gained strength. What do you mean?

Taillon: That's one thing the Pirates said going into this year, is it is what you make of it. You can get through it and survive, or you can thrive and set yourself up for a long career ahead. I learned about my diet, I worked on my mechanics a lot, watched a lot of video. I've been in the weight room four days a week, I've gotten stronger; we've personalized the program -- I know that my body needs and likes more in the weight room. I've gained some arm exercises that I'll take with me the rest of my career. I know what it's like to stay on top of it now.

MiLB.com: I guess the question Pirates fans want to ask is, when can they expect you on a mound in a game again? Do you think reaching the Majors by the end of 2015 is realistic?

Taillon: I'm throwing on a mound in the bullpen right now, I'll start facing hitters in a month. I won't be in a real live game until probably extended Spring Training, but that'll be right around the one-year mark. Depending on how things go and how I feel, I don't think there's a reason I shouldn't get into a game by May. I feel strong, I'd like to make my way up to the big club at some point.

MiLB.com: Triple-A Indianapolis fans sent you a handwritten get-well card in April. How nice was that?

Taillon: Yeah, I got that. I think they had a T-shirt giveaway with my name on it and they put the sign out and all the fans signed it. I still have it, I kept it in my locker all year. I think sometimes through rehab, you feel kind of forgotten about, and getting stuff like that feels good.

MiLB.com: At what point in your throwing program do you start working on throwing breaking balls and focusing on pitches rather than just repeating the motion?

Taillon: That's kind of what I'm going through now. I started throwing breaking balls. I'm not on a set count of balls and I'm through the technical rehab stuff, so I'm getting ready for what I need to pitch competitively. I've thrown so many balls, it gets repetitive, but I'm re-teaching myself how to compete and speed things up on the mound, get my adrenaline going. I'm starting to become a baseball player again instead of a rehabber.

MiLB.com: You wrote about people commenting about your height and asking if you played basketball. I'm tall, so I know the routine, but for those who don't actually know who you are, what are the reactions like when you tell them you pitch for the Pirates? Do people believe you?

Taillon: [Laughs] I used to try to correct people and tell them I'm a baseball player, but now I just go with it. I tell them I play college basketball at the University of South Florida -- I get sick of answering it. And the funny thing is, realistically, if I played basketball, I'd be average size. If they actually saw what real basketball players looked like, they'd realize I'm not tall.

MiLB.com: Pittsburgh added you to the 40-man roster in November. What was it like to hear that, especially after the Pirates made the playoffs?

Taillon: It was another good step. It's something I'd been hoping and planning to be on, and the injury was a setback. It's a reassurance. It definitely lets you know they still like you as a guy and see you in their future. At the same time, they told me, "Congrats, but don't get too caught up in it -- let's remember the ultimate goal isn't to be on the 40-man but to be on the 25-man for a long time."

MiLB.com: According to Twitter, you're in a Call of Duty clan with St. Louis' Michael Wacha and Milwaukee's Jimmy Nelson? How'd that happen?

Taillon: We're pretty good, too. We all live nearby and work out in the offseason together. Jimmy is an avid gamer and me and Wacha are pretty good. We all live close by in The Woodlands, Texas, and got a good clan together.

MiLB.com: I saw you had DeMarco Murray and Matthew Stafford in fantasy football this year. How'd the team do? Any advice for the rest of us?

Taillon: We did something interesting: we did the playoffs and also high score of the week got money also, so I won that a few weeks. My team missed the playoffs with close to a .500 record. But I had the second-most points in the league, so I'm still a little bitter about that. I tried to do my research and use some dirty tactics, to tell guys to draft certain players who wouldn't do well, so you could get the better ones. I watched a lot of sports, I had a lot of time. I was in three leagues this year.

MiLB.com: You started taking guitar lessons this past year?

Taillon: I've been playing since my senior year of high school, so I've played for a while, but I thought instead of watching YouTube videos, I wanted to learn the right way. So I've been taking lessons for seven months. I'm not bad, I'm pretty good. I can play around a campfire and people would be pretty happy. But I'm by no means Jimi Hendrix.

MiLB.com: You tweeted that you went snorkeling in an apartment complex pool over the summer.

Taillon: [Laughs] I think that's about the point we had lost our minds. [Clay Holmes and I] were down here looking for funny things to do, we were going to go to the beach, but that day there was some skeptical weather, so we just took the snorkel up to the pool. That's when I lost my mind a little.

MiLB.com: All Minor Leaguers love Chipotle. What's your go-to order there?

Taillon: Yeah, I'm a burrito bowl guy. Double chicken.

MiLB.com: The Pirates gave you a pretty sweet signing bonus after the 2009 Draft [$6.5 million]. Did you go out and buy something cool?

Tallon: I didn't go too crazy -- I invested most of it. I had a car and a condo on a lake back home in The Woodlands, helped my parents out with their house. I bought a Dodge Ram at the time, but I've traded it in for an Audi A7.