Over the last few seasons, we have seen the emergence of a number of young pitching prospects in Major League Baseball.
Unfortunately, 2014 has been the year of torn ulnar collateral ligaments, resulting in season-ending Tommy John surgery for a lot of those young stars.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, 18 pitchers have had the procedure done on their arms in 2014, and commissioner Bud Selig is calling it an “epidemic.”
The Pittsburgh Pirates were one of the first teams affected by the procedure in 2014 when top pitching prospect Jameson Taillon underwent the operation in early April. At the major league level, however, the Pirates have been blessed with healthy arms.
According to a report on Fox Sports, Pittsburgh has had just one player, reliever Stolmy Pimentel, land on the 15-day list with an arm injury. Pimentel was placed on the shelf on May 2 with right shoulder inflammation.
Other than that, the Pirates have not been burdened by arm problems at the major league level in 2014.
In fact, Pittsburgh has seen how the surgery can positively affect a pitcher’s ability to pitch again.
Starting pitcher Edinson Volquez had the best year of his career in 2008 when he went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA for the Cincinnati Reds. The following season, he found himself in the operating room after tearing the ligament in his throwing arm.
Volquez has never returned to his old form, but he has shown in 2014 that he looks completely healthy, giving the Pirates a solid No. 5 starter.
Now, it goes without being said that the Pirates have had their fair share of injuries early on, but luckily those injuries did not concern pitchers’ arms (with the exception of Pimentel).
The Pirates are very fortunate that they have not been bitten by the injury bug considering they are off to a slow 17-23 start to the season.
According to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com, when asked about staying healthy, Volquez said “We just have to to do it all season long, for the team and for myself.”
As long as their pitchers stay injury-free, the Pirates should get hot, as they certainly have enough talent to make a run at one of the wild-card spots.
*Statistics Courtesy of Baseball Reference
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