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Jameson Taillon: No Innings Limit In Place For Me, As Far As I Know

PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) – Jameson Taillon has had an outstanding rookie season for the Pirates.

He joined "The Fan Morning Show" on Wednesday to talk about how he's been able to bounce back from his run of injuries to become one of the best young pitchers in the majors.

Taillon said he's been working hard to perfect every aspect of his game.

"I'm always working on my mechanics, trying to fine-tune those," Taillon said. "Fine-tuning my routine between starts, trying to find what works for me...and from there, I'm just trying to kind of keep some consistency between starts, consistency when I'm on the mound, consistency in my thoughts, my breathing...I'm always working on stuff over here, it just depends what day you catch me on."

The stage was never too big for Taillon, but it did feel big at first.

"I remember pitching in that first game, I think I had to cover first on a ground ball or something, and I remember thinking, like, man, the lights are bright, the field's nice, I'm facing all these big-name guys," Taillon said. "I mean, it's called 'The Show' for a reason. The game was quick. My heart was racing."

"I'd say, since then, everything has settled down a little bit for me. I'm breathing a little better out there and stuff."

From the moment he arrived in Pittsburgh, Taillon has displayed an impressive ability to pitch efficiently and avoid walking batters. He's taken pride in that, but he's learned that he can loosen up a bit and not worry too much about avoiding walks.

"That's something else I'm learning about - maybe if there's an open base, and I'm facing a big hitter...maybe I'll be a little more careful, maybe I'll throw a curveball in that situation behind in the count or something like that," Taillon said. "That being said, I still don't like walking guys. I'm never going to go out there and intentionally pitch around guys, no matter who it is, unless it's a huge spot."

At this point, the biggest question mark for Taillon is whether or not he can pitch all the way into September after not pitching in a game in the two seasons leading up to this one. Many have wondered if an innings limit or total shutdown could be in the cards, but Taillon said that no such plan is in place yet.

"We're playing it by ear," Taillon said. "If there was one perfect way to do it, we would be doing it, but I think we have to really go off of what we're seeing and what we're feeling. I have to be honest with them and tell them how I'm feeling, how I'm recovering between starts. I think there's going to be some two-way communication back and forth."

"As far as I've been told, I'm good to pitch."

The interview can be heard here:

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