Jameson Taillon, Bobby Parnell to undergo TJ

It was announced yesterday that two pitchers will be undergoing Tommy John surgery...

• Pittsburgh Pirates top pitching prospect Jameson Taillon is one of the two pitchers. After feeling elbow discomfort in Spring Training, the Pirates sent Taillon to minor league camp, where doctors suggested two weeks of rest. When Taillon resumed throwing recently, the pain continued. Although nothing in his elbow is completely torn, it is torn to the point where Dr. David Altchek decided to take the Tommy John route. Taillon went 5-10 with a 3.73 ERA in 147 1/3 innings last season.
• The New York Mets also announced that Bobby Parnell will undergo Tommy John surgery. Parnell, the team's closer, had been dealing with low velocity, which led to the diagnose of a partially torn MCL ligament. He decided to take the Tommy John route. Jose Valverde will take over as Mets closer. 

Many pitchers are having Tommy John surgery. I recently got tweeted, by one of my followers, "Another one bites the dust," following the news regarding Taillon. It is hard to know why so many pitchers need these surgeries, but it is becoming notable that many pitchers are getting the procedure done. Kris Medlen, Jarrod Parker, Taillon, and Parnell are just a small sample size of the pitchers that will need the surgery sometime in the near future, if not done already. 

Personally, I blame the fact of overthrowing on Tommy John surgery. Young pitchers feel that they need to prove themselves in this league, and they want to give everything they've got on every pitch. If they understand how pitching this much takes a toll on their body, they will understand how to save themselves into the future. That's just a thought.