UNLV pitcher Erick Fedde needs Tommy John surgery, Baseball America’s Aaron Fitt reports. Fedde had an MRI on Friday after missing a start.
Fedde profiled as a potential top-ten pick in next month’s draft. BA’s John Manuel had Fedde going to the Rockies at No. 8 in his recent mock draft. He is the second potential early-first-round pick to require Tommy John surgery in less than a week, with news breaking on Wednesday that East Carolina pitcher Jeff Hoffman would also require the procedure.
Given the relatively good prognosis for pitchers needing Tommy John surgery, Fedde’s injury might not keep him out of the first round. As BA’s Clint Longenecker recently pointed out in an article about Hoffman, the Nationals’ selection of Lucas Giolito in the first round in 2012 and the Royals’ selection of Sean Manaea the following year show that teams are willing to take risks on talented pitchers with injury issues.
It is, however, now unlikely that Fedde will go in the top ten. The Twins, for example,are not considering either Hoffman or Fedde with the No. 5 overall pick, 1500ESPN.com’s Darren Wolfson tweets.
