By JOHN PERROTTO
PITTSBURGH — The list of Pirates’ first-round draft picks who have had arm surgery and not lived up to their promise over the past decade is lengthy.
There is Bobby Bradley, who survived elbow and shoulder surgeries to make it to Class AAA, but then lost feeling in his pitching hand and was released.
There is Sean Burnett, who also had elbow and shoulder surgery and whose arm strength has been reduced to the point where he now limited to a relief role with the Pirates.
He has a 7-8 career record in the major leagues.
There is John Van Benschoten, who had three shoulder operations and is now pitching for the Chicago White Sox’s Class AAA Charlotte farm club. His major-league record is 2-13.
There is Bryan Bullington, who underwent shoulder surgery and is now making the conversion from starter to reliever with Toronto’s Class AAA Las Vegas farm club. He has yet to win a game in the big leagues following stints with the Pirates, Cleveland and Blue Jays.
And then there is Brad Lincoln. He, too, is a Pirates’ first-rounder who has gone under the surgeon’s scalpel.
However, Lincoln’s story has a chance to end happily. Two years removed from reconstructive elbow surgery, the 24-year-old right-hander is having an outstanding season with Class AA Altoona, even if his won-loss record does not show it.
Lincoln is only 1-4 but has an outstanding 2.20 earned run average in 12 starts. He has allowed just 59 hits in 692/3 innings while walking 16 and striking out 63.
The Pirates’ first-round pick in 2006 from the University of Houston is third in the Eastern League in ERA and fourth in strikeouts going into his start tonight against New Britain at Altoona.
“He’s really taken huge strides,” Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington said.
Lincoln isn’t getting too excited about his season just yet.
“It’s great to have success, and I’ve been enjoying it, but it’s also tough when the team isn’t doing well,” said Lincoln, referring to Altoona’s 22-42 record that has the Curve 20 games behind first-place Akron in the Eastern League’s Southern Division. “I’m a competitive person and I like to win, so it’s been a tough season.
“From a personal standpoint, though, I’m happy. I feel like I’m all the way back to throwing the ball like I did in college. I’m finally showing people why the Pirates thought highly enough of me to take me in the first round.”
Lincoln was the Conference USA Player of the Year and the No. 4 overall pick in the draft in ’06.
However, he suffered a torn ligament during spring training the next year and missed the 2007 season.
Lincoln split last season between the Class A Hickory and Lynchburg farm clubs, going 6-10 with a 4.69 ERA in 19 starts.
Last season, though, was about building arm strength. This season, it’s about competing again.
“Last year I was very encouraged with what he was getting accomplished and Brad’s taken that to another level this year,” said Kyle Stark, the Pirates’ player development director. “The velocity continues to creep back up. He’s been pitching in the low 90s and touching some 95s. The curveball, the pitch that got him drafted, appears to have come back and his changeup continues to be a work in progress, but he’s made a lot of strides over the past year and a half.”
Lincoln has made such big strides that he will likely move up to Class AAA Indianapolis in the near future, according to Huntington.
“You’re talking about a guy with three potential ‘plus’ pitches who is getting better almost every time out,” Huntington said. “With his competitiveness and makeup, you’re talking about a guy you can really get excited about.”
