Pirates’ Jameson Taillon cleared to throw amidst cancer fight

ATLANTA – On Tuesday, two weeks after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer, Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon was cleared to return to the mound. He threw a 25-pitch bullpen session with catcher Chris Stewart 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.

“Every little step of good news is a relief in its own way,” Taillon said. “Being out here, being around the guys, that’s the biggest relief. That’s my comfort zone.”

Taillon, 25, had a 3.31 ERA in six starts before the surgery.

“I just want to return to normalcy,” he said. “I know it’s everyone’s job to talk about it, but I want to get to a point where I’m not the center of attention, and I just make my headlines pitching.”