5:35pm: The Red Sox have announced the news. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the operation next week, on May 15.
5:20pm: Top Red Sox prospect Jay Groome will miss the remainder of the 2018 season and part of the 2019 campaign due to a UCL injury that will require Tommy John surgery, reports Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal. Groome, the 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft, will have the surgery either later this week or early next week, per McAdam.
Groome, 19, missed much of the 2017 campaign due to a flexor strain in his left arm as well, throwing just 55 1/3 innings on the season as a whole. He’s yet to pitch this season, either, after opening the season on the disabled list with what the team called a similar flexor issue to the one that plagued him last year.
Obviously, given his age and the fact that he’s yet to pitch above A-ball, Groome wouldn’t have factored into Boston’s immediate plans anyhow. Losing a year of development and adding a major arm surgery to his medical file at a young age, however, is a disconcerting outcome all the same. It also saps some of Groome’s trade value, lessening the possibility that he could be used to acquire a key piece in trades this summer as the Sox look to bolster their standing in a competitive AL East.
Heading into the 2018 season, Groome was a consensus Top 100 prospect throughout the league, ranking 83rd per Baseball America, 85th per MLB.com, 78th per Baseball Prospectus and 98th per Fangraphs. He’s touted as a potential top-of-the-rotation arm given an above-average fastball and a knockout curveball, but it now looks as though the 2020 season will be his best bet at turning in a full season of development at the minor league level.
It’s been a rough start to the season for Boston’s farm system, with Groome now requiring Tommy John surgery and infield prospect Michael Chavis already having been hit with an 80-game suspension following a failed PED test.
This is gonna get crazy here real fast.
Josh, I just wish the Redsox pitching draftees could just mature n come to Fenway easily.
Dang, that’s too bad. Hope he recovers quickly.
At least it looks like the team is getting David Price back…Any takers for him?
Dude it’s being speculated it’s from playing Fortnite…
Fortnite ? I didn’t know the British were coming
The British are coming? Let’s throw a tea party!
To think he could have been in the padres system
I still don’t get that. Preller allegedly had a deal in place to take Groome at #24 if he made it that far and sign him for $5m. Groome was never going to make it to #24 and the Red Sox signed him $3.65m. The whole point of a pre-draft deal is to get a guy on the cheap yet the Red Sox paid him 27% less without a pre-draft deal than the Padres would have paid him with one.
Wouldn’t you want more to wind up with the Padres over Boston?
As a pitcher? I rather be a padre. Ain’t no one got time for that little league park
No? It doesn’t make any difference if you’re just some kid. You don’t have leverage to play for your favorite team or to give the good teams special deals because winning isn’t and shouldn’t be a priority when you’re just starting out. Its also harder to make the Red Sox major league club than the Padres.
It’s because he had the leverage to go to college. As an example, say a guy is a top 10 talent but wants top 2-type money, a lot of teams might not want to risk their first pick on him because they’re afraid to lose it altogether if he won’t sign. The Pads had extra picks so they were hoping to get the best of both worlds – a safe sign top of the first round talent who agreed to an underslot deal and then use the saved money to pay Groome more than anyone else would or could pay him. Groome agreed to it so told people that $5m was his price, hoping nobody would draft him until the Pad’s second pick at 24. Red Sox called his bluff and drafted him at 12, told him the max they could afford in the Poole and dared him to take it or go to college. Probably a good thing for him that he signed since he’s never been healthy since then, so probably wouldn’t have done better later.
The Padres took Quantrill who signed for $330k over slot.
mlb.com/news/2016-draft-signing-and-bonus-tracker/…
Groome signed for $460K over slot.
Hate seeing all these TJ announcements, especially for prospects. Cheers to a fast recovery
As long as some pitchers continue to throw from the opposite side of the rubber) RHP/First Base side of the rubber)& LHP/Third base of the rubber)TJS will continue to happen. It creates a longer stroke to travel to the release point and the front landing is either across the body locking & recoiling the front half and not allowing the arm to finish properly. I have been saying this for over 20 years.
John Schmoltz talks about it all the time.
Also, as long as parents and coaches of young player continue to ignore advice TJS will continue. MLB has a “Pitch Smart” program and I doubt most parents follow it. m.mlb.com/pitchsmart/
Look at the risk factors like “ASMI (American Sports Medicine Institute) also found that pitchers who competed more than 8 months per year were 5 times as likely to suffer an injury requiring surgery. Pitchers should refrain from throwing for at least 2-3 months per year and avoid competitive pitching for at least 4 months per year.” That kinda stuff happens way to much.
“35% of parents incorrectly believe that overall pitching performance would be enhanced following surgery” and “53% of college athletes incorrectly believe that pitching speed would improve following Tommy John surgery”
Ignorance is destroying arms.
Playing other sports and not just concentrating on one is an answer.
Actually just focusing on one sport is a big reason kids get hurt. They are using the same muscles over and over and it wears them out.
That is something Dr. Andrews has mentioned on numerous occasions and even though he heads up the Pitch Smart Advisory Board it is, sadly, not mentioned in their program. Arms need rest from throwing overhand as it’s not a natural motion.
Statistically, There probably isn’t enough evidence to separate the one-sport and year round pitching problems, since they usually go together. Other sports are a great way to do it, but I don’t care if it’s chess club, just don’t let kids throw more than half the year.
@Catmando ^^^ THIS. You got it.
With travel squads and tournaments like Perfect Game and Area Code Games many of these kids are pitching year-round today.
It’s stupid and its destroying arms.
The financial potential is too big to resist. Every athlete looks for an edge. At least with pitchers overthrowing be it mph or crossbody angle at least it’s not illegal like PEDs.
Plus letting these kids throw breaking pitches before they even turn 14 years old is not good for them ! The bones
And tendons and ligaments are not finished growing
and can be damaged easily!
Great insight, thanks for sharing. Never knew that.
You’ve been saying that for 20 years? That’s a long time to say something completely unsubstantiated and devoid of logic and/or evidence.
Dude says “sucks that people have been getting hurt, hope they get better soon” and he has 1 upvote and 4 downvotes. Ya’ll suck.
That isn’t all he said.
Tough to see another young pitcher go down with TJ. Hopefully a speedy recovery.
The #1 prospect in the Red Sox system would now rank #23 in the Yankee system…..what’s Dombrowski to do???????
Chavis is in the top 100 prospects. Dont think the Yankees have 22 top 100 guys
@Kenleyfornia74 Yankees fans didn’t like that post. That is funny.
You mean 80 game PED suspension Chavis? The guy that magically increased his power last year ?
He’ll be dropped off the list just like David Paulino. It’s not like he was high on the 100 anyway.
Didn’t he get suspended for PEDs? I don’t think he’ll remain on that list much longer
That doesn’t even make sense. Groome, Chavis and Meta would all rank highly in the yankees system still
60% if the time it works ALL the time.
Yes you better work on your farm system, that AAA Championship is making headlines. I think what Dombrowski is doing is working on the major league team to win a World Series. Crazy huh.
Not a good year to be a top Red Sox top prosect
Having to shoulder the weight of his overrated prospect status took it’s toll.
Hey was a locker mate to Mr.Elbow, David Price. Alex Cora commented, “he must have caught the bug from price.”
He was a lockermate to Chris Sale.
The only way the Red Sox will be able to make a significant addition at this point is by eating money. Losing the top two prospects from a thin system really limits them. You have to wonder how much more payroll ownership will be willing to absorb to keep them going.
Puk, Honeywell, and Groome in the same year. I hate TJ surgeries.
MERCY! Sox fans are sensitive….but the system is short now….yes, yes, trades and graduations….I get it…..relax…..they draft well, they’ll be back…..
Short?
Actually the cupboard is bare. Trader Dave emptied it. He hates developing young players.
No worries. He is about to flip someone young for Miggy.
I don’t even think they have enough for Miggy. Just have to absorb the contract. Dombrowski really is the worst GM
I’d respect Price more if his Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was due to endless hours of replaying Spyro the Dragon Trilogy on PS1 instead of Fortnite.
Sad to see a very talented young man go down to TJ so early in his career. Good luck to you Groome.
I thought Miggy would be a Red Sox player 2 years ago…..now, the money is just too much, even for them…..but don’t knock Miggy, pretty much a class act for a lot of years…..