Brad Lincoln: Shattered Shoulder, Shattered Potential

At one point, Brad Lincoln was said to have the potential to become better than any pitcher in the Pirates organization. In 2010, the 25-year old would bury that statement six feet deep during his eight major league starts in June and July. In his MLB debut, Lincoln was rocked by the Chicago White Sox for five runs in six innings. Neither the fans nor the organization lost faith in the man they hoped could help lead the Pirates to some form of the Promised Land by becoming a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter. After all, it was Lincoln’s first game in the bigs. Over his next seven starts, Lincoln would give up less than three runs just once, and would never throw more than seven innings. The right-hander would rack up a 6.44 ERA and strikeout just 18 batters in 32 innings. Not acceptable numbers for a former number four overall MLB draft selection, and a pitcher who was regarded as one of the best in that entire draft. Lincoln was sent back to AAA Indianapolis after his st...