iStock/Thinkstock(ALTOONA, Pa.) — Less than three weeks after undergoing surgery to treat testicular cancer, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon was back on the mound Sunday pitching for the team’s Double-A team, the Altoona Curve.
The right-hander struck out six in three scoreless innings in his first rehab start since the surgery.
Taillon called the outing “therapeutic,” according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Taillon was pitching well to begin 2017, but was placed on the disabled list with groin discomfort on May 6. Doctors quickly operated on him, suspecting testicular cancer. It was then confirmed by a pathology report that he did have cancer.
While the young pitcher has made encouraging progress, the team’s trainer warns they’re treating Taillon’s recovery as a day-to-day situation, ESPN reports. He has not undergone chemotherapy, but is getting his blood checked daily, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Taillon was the second overall pick in the 2010 draft, selected right after one of baseball’s biggest stars, Bryce Harper.
He was considered a top prospect in the minor leagues before he was called up to join the Pirates.
Through six major league starts in 2017, Taillon has registered a 2-1 record and 3.31 ERA.
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