BRADENTON, Fla. — Nick Kingham is finally at peace. The congenial 26-year-old right-handed starting pitcher never let on how he doubted himself at times last season.
Despite having spent more than one year rehabbing at Pirate City, Kingham often wondered if his throwing elbow was completely healthy. Any soreness or pain was accompanied by a rush of anxiety.
He was more than two years removed from Tommy John surgery, but he was never sure how he should feel or how far he could push himself. Advice from Jameson Taillon was invaluable. After all, the two men are close friends and Taillon also underwent the procedure, returning to make his major league debut for the Pirates in June 2016.
But the elixir to Kingham's concerns was time, and he's demonstrating to both himself and the Pirates, who lost 7-5 to the Braves in Lake Buena Vista on Monday, that he's inching closer to the major leagues.
"It's always one pitch away; I know that," Kingham told DKPittsburghSports.com. "But I have so much more peace of mind knowing my arm is one year stronger. This offseason something clicked where I was fully confident letting everything go and it was all perfect."
In two starts this spring, Kingham has allowed one earned run in five innings for a 1.80 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. It's his second spring training since tearing his ulnar collateral ligament in May 2015, but having pitched one full season in 2017 has the former fourth-round draft pick at ease.
Last season, Kingham had a 4.13 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 93 strikeouts to 29 walks in 20 appearances, including 19 starts, at Triple-A Indianapolis after missing the first month because of an ankle injury. His return to the mound came in late 2016 when he made starts between rookie ball, Class A and Double-A, but it was the first time his elbow was truly put to the test.
His 118 1/3 innings weren't a career high, yet the volume of work allowed him to rediscover what he had lost by sitting out for more than one full season. His four-seam fastball velocity was down to 91 mph after he reached 97 prior to surgery, and he lost confidence in the pinpoint command that made him one of Baseball America's top-100 prospects entering the 2014 season.
"That’s what led to some struggles last year," Kingham, who allowed 9.5 hits per nine innings last season, explained. "I was basically doubting myself, not thinking I was good enough to maybe sneak this fastball inside. I had to make sure it was perfect and then I’d fall off and it’d be a ball or I’d leave it over the middle of the plate and it’d get whacked."
He never had doubts about his velocity, though. The Pirates' training staff assured him that would return and it gradually did, with his fastball now averaging 94 and topping out at 95 mph. Kingham wasn't sure how to remain aggressive, though.
Doubts would creep into his mind when he was on the mound.
"Is my elbow fully healthy?"
"How far can I push it?"
"Am I pushing it as hard as I can?"
The problem was that Kingham wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. He was hesitant to throw his changeup — the same pitch he threw when the injury occurred — and dwelled on his mechanics. Pitching no longer felt natural.
The recovery process can be different for every player, but since Kingham underwent surgery in May 2015, he turned to Taillon with his questions or concerns.
The two men were both at Pirate City to rehab from Tommy John surgery during the spring of 2015. Taillon was pitching extended spring games while Kingham was in the training room with one arm in a sling and the other pushing against a wall at different angles.
Taillon went through the same process with Clay Holmes and Kyle McPherson, but there were many before them, including Charlie Morton.
"It’s good to have somebody," Taillon said. "You pass along what you know to the next guy who’s unfortunately in line. It’s good to have a friend when you’re down here alone. ... You learn a lot about yourself. It’s life-changing. [Kingham's] going to be a tough critic on himself but he looks really solid. I’m pretty confident he’ll contribute at some point this year."
Taillon reached the major leagues and secured a spot in the Pirates' rotation. Meanwhile, Kingham was slowly working his way back. He texted Taillon questions about the rehab process last season, but slowly those questions became less frequent.
Tommy John surgery rarely comes up during their conversations this spring. Those thoughts are no longer on Kingham's mind when he's on the mound, either.
"I kind of transitioned in the middle of the season and told myself, ‘Nick, your elbow is fine, just go out there and throw,'" Kingham said. "Success started coming with that. I stopped babying it and trying to aim everything."
Kingham will surely head back to Triple-A later this month. The Pirates' rotation is set and it appears both Steven Brault and Tyler Glasnow are the de facto sixth and seventh starters, as they are expected to begin the season in the bullpen.
Rather than thinking about the major leagues, Kingham's singular focus is to show he's back to his old self — one worry-free pitch at a time.
"Now I know it’s there, I have it and I’m going to let it rip," he said. "That doubt has kind of gone out the window."
GAME NOTES
• Chad Kuhl allowed three runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings against the Braves, walking two and striking out three. Felipe Rivero had two strikeouts in a scoreless fourth inning, and Trevor Williams allowed three runs on four hits in three innings.
Williams has a 9.82 ERA and 2.18 WHIP this spring.
• Sean Rodriguez hit his third home run of the spring, a solo shot in the sixth inning. Starling Marte, Max Moroff and Jordan Luplow also hit solo home runs. Josh Bell went 0 for 3 and is now batting .167, and Marte went 2 for 3.
Corey Dickerson started in left field and went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
• Here's Clint Hurdle's lineup card:
1. Sean Rodriguez, 2B
2. Corey Dickerson, LF
3. Starling Marte, CF
4. Josh Bell, 1B
5. David Freese, 3B
6. Francisco Cervelli, C
7. Bryce Brentz, RF
8. Kevin Newman, SS
9. Chad Kuhl, P
• The Pirates are off tomorrow and will play the Blue Jays in Dunedin on Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to start with Michael Feliz, Josh Smoker, Jordan Milbrath and Clay Holmes in relief.