Surgery for 2 pitchers

Right-hander Jameson Taillon, considered the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top pitching prospect, and New York Mets’ closer Bobby Parnell will have Tommy John surgery.

Taillon, 22, began feeling pain in his elbow with two weeks remaining in spring training after being assigned by the Pirates to their minor league camp. Doctors prescribed two weeks of rest, but Taillon again felt pain when he tried to throw again.

While Taillon does not have a fully torn ligament, it was compromised to the point where surgery was necessary. Taillon will be out 12 to 18 months.

The Pirates used the second overall pick in the 2010 draft to select Taillon from The Woodlands (Texas) High School in the Houston suburbs and gave him a $6.5 million signing bonus, which was then a franchise record.

Parnell will also be out the rest of the season. He blew a save on opening day and the next day it was revealed he had partially torn right elbow ligament. He received a plasma injection and the original plan was for him to rest about two weeks.

Less than a week later, the Mets announced Parnell would undergo ligament replacement surgery on Tuesday.

Parnell was 5-5 with a 2.16 ERA and 22 saves in 26 chances last year.

Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig was not in Los Angeles’ lineup for Sunday night’s series finale against San Francisco because of a swollen left thumb.

He was hurt Saturday making a headfirst slide into first base on an infield single. He finished that game.

Red Sox place Middlebrooks on DL

The Boston Red Sox have placed third baseman Will Middlebrooks on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain and called up infielder Brock Holt from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Middlebrooks hit .231 with one homer in Boston’s first four games before being scratched from the lineup for Saturday night’s 7-6 loss in 11 innings to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Tanaka in company with former Zag

Masahiro Tanaka, who made his MLB debut on Friday, is the second Yankees starter since 1914 to have at least eight strikeouts and no walks in his MLB debut.

The other was Rich Beck on Sept. 15, 1965.

Beck, who pitched for Gonzaga University, went 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA as a September call-up and never returned to the major leagues.