Kingham undergoes Tommy John surgery

Another Pirates right-handed pitching prospect on the cusp of the Majors will miss significant time due to elbow issues.

A year after Jameson Taillon went under the knife, Pirates No. 6 prospect Nick Kingham underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday, the organization announced, and will miss the rest of the 2015 season and at least the start of the 2016 season as well. Recovery from the UCL reconstruction surgery typically takes 12-16 months.

Kingham, MLB.com's No. 68 prospect, was 1-2 with a 4.31 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 32 strikeouts and seven walks in 31 1/3 innings at Triple-A Indianapolis before the surgery. He last pitched May 6 against Rochester, a game in which he exited in the sixth inning after experiencing right elbow pain. 

The 23-year-old, 6-foot-6 right-hander had developed a reputation for his low-to-mid-90's fastball and impressive control since being taken in the fourth round out of a Las Vegas high school in 2010. He was added to the Pirates' 40-man roster back in November and was a prime candidate for a promotion to the Majors this summer if the Bucs needed rotation help. 

Although all surgery recoveries are different, it's worth noting that Taillon has yet to pitch in an official Minor League game this season after undergoing Tommy John last April. He's currently in extended spring training and tweeted on May 14, "Worked my tail off this past year, and it felt so good to pitch in a game again. Missed the competition so much. Hungry for more!"