BRADENTON, Fla. – The two players with the most prominent right arms in Pittsburgh sports saw their 2019 seasons end with surgery on their throwing elbows in a five-week span.

As he rehabilitates from Tommy John surgery in mid-August, Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon said he intends to closely monitor the recovery of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was operated on in late September.

“I’m definitely curious with what’s going on with his elbow,” Taillon said from spring training at Pirate City.

It was the second Tommy John surgery for Taillon, who also underwent the procedure in 2014. This was the first elbow procedure for Roethlisberger, who played only six quarters last season before being injured against the Seattle Seahawks.

Taillon is more than three weeks into his throwing program, and said he can soft-toss a baseball up to 75 feet. Roethlisberger has a medical exam scheduled for later this month that will determine when he can begin throwing.

“So far, so good as far as Ben’s progress,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said last week. “He’s still early in his rehab situation, but all reports we’re getting have been positive. We’re really looking for him to improve as we work into the spring here.”

Where the Steelers are optimistic that Roethlisberger can return for the 2020 season, Taillon already knows he will not play for the Pirates this summer. That’s why he is interested in Roethlisberger’s recovery, so he can see similar signs of progress in another professional athlete from Pittsburgh.

“Throwing a football historically is a lot cleaner of a motion because it’s shorter, tighter and the ball is a little heavier so that forces your body to have a more efficient path. That’s why guys throw weighted balls and stuff,” said Taillon, who turned 28 in November and is nearly 10 years younger than Roethlisberger.

“So, it’s rare to see a quarterback’s arm go. Obviously, he’s been playing for so long and has had so many reps. I’ll be curious to see what his rehab looks like and whether our trainers talk and stuff because baseball trainers have a lot of experience with elbow injuries. I’m curious if there’s any dialogue there.”

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