The Pirates have optioned starter Tyler Glasnow and reliever Dovydas Neverauskas to Triple-A Indianapolis, MLB.com’s Adam Berry tweets. The idea, as Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets, is that Jameson Taillon will return and start on Monday, with Chad Kuhl pitching in Glasnow’s rotation spot on Wednesday. There’s no official word on who will Glasnow and Neverauskas on the roster in the short term, although the agent for righty reliever Edgar Santana recently tweeted congratulations to his client for making it to the big leagues for the first time.
Of these moves, the most newsworthy is Taillon’s quick return. Taillon had surgery for testicular cancer in early May and returned almost immediately, hopping back into baseball activities and then making three rehab starts in the high minors during which he showed little rust. That he will have been able to rejoin the Pirates’ rotation so quickly is heartwarming news after his shocking cancer diagnosis. Before his surgery, he had a 3.31 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 over 31 1/3 innings this season.
Glasnow, who once joined Taillon atop lists of the Pirates’ best pitching prospects, has struggled greatly this season, posting a 7.45 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 over 54 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old has size and elite stuff, with a mid-90s fastball and an excellent curveball, but he has made little evident progress in the development of his control.
I’m very happy to hear Jameson us returning! He made an amazing recovery and I have a lot more respect for him.
I hope Tyler can figure out his problems at AAA and improve.
Both have the potential to be frontline starters for years to come.
Taillon is one of those guys you just root for. Even before the cancer, he’s one of those guys you like to play against and one of those guys you want on your team. Then again I’m a Cardinals fan so I want everyone other than who we have on our team haha.
Happy for Taillon and his recovery though. I like watching the kid pitch.
I don’t understand Glasnow’s issues, he looks completely lost, the home run ball is just killing him. I was always concerned because it’s a lot easier to dominate in the minors with inconsistent command but that won’t work in the majors. Being prone to the big innings would make him a dangerous late inning reliever as well.
Very happy for Taillon, big boost to the rotation and awesome recovery.
He has Giolito-itis, Arrieta had it too, hopefully, u figure it out…or AAAA rockstar!
Incredible! Happy for JT
I wanted Glasnow to start in AAA. People kept confusing him dominating in AAA for him “having nothing left to prove in AAA”. He only had two pitches, couldn’t hold runners and didn’t throw enough strikes, he had plenty left to prove there.
His issues are between the ears. I’ve never seen a human look more scared to be on a mound.
Taillon is the opposite. Doesn’t have the physical tools that Glasnow does, but he is an all star above the neck. Smart, focused, determined, poised, competitive. Everything you could want from a top line starter.
Love Taillon. Such a trooper. Have had him stashed on my fantasy team for 3 years now and didn’t expect much this year. So glad the cancer didn’t spread to need chemo. I had the same issue at 56 and needed chemo so he dodged a bad bullet. Selfishly I’m ecstatic he’ll be back in my fantasy rotation come Monday.
Knock on wood, it could still spread at any time, might even be quite likely that it will depending on makeup of the tumor, vascular invasion, etc.