The road to recovery for New York Yankees pitcher Nathan Eovaldi has begun after he underwent surgery on his right arm.
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Eovaldi Has Tommy John Surgery
Friday, Aug. 19
Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees announced Eovaldi had Tommy John surgery and underwent a procedure to repair his right flexor tendon.
The 26-year-old Eovaldi last pitched on Aug. 10 against the Boston Red Sox, lasting just one inning in a start before experiencing elbow discomfort. He was placed on the disabled list almost immediately before it was later announced he would require surgery to repair his pitching arm.
Eovaldi has battled injuries in the past, missing most of last September with elbow inflammation. He previously had Tommy John surgery during his junior year of high school in 2007, one year before the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him in the 11th round.
The right-hander is a fascinating pitcher. He has the overpowering stuff to be dominant, with a fastball that has averaged 97.1 mph this season, per FanGraphs, yet the performance hasn’t matched the talent, as he has a 4.76 ERA in 2016.
Eovaldi’s upside makes him one of New York’s most valuable assets. The Yankees also lack depth in their starting rotation. The group has remained healthy so far this year, with the exception of CC Sabathia’s stint on the disabled list.
New York’s front office has already started looking toward the future by trading Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran. Eovaldi will likely not be ready to pitch again until 2018, so the team will have ample opportunity to evaluate all of its pitching options before having to make a decision about how to use him.
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