TODAY: Staumont will undergo thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, according to Anne Rogers (Twitter link). It’s a big setback for Staumont, who will miss the rest of the season and face something of an uncertain recovery timeline, given the still-new nature of TOS procedures. Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post recently wrote about the two different kinds (vascular and neurogenic) of TOS, and how vascular cases are by far the less-serious of the two, while neurogenic TOS surgery could be career-threatening.
JULY 14: The Royals announced today that left-hander Ángel Zerpa was reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Omaha. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, right-hander Josh Staumont was sent the other way, transferred to the 60-day IL.
Staumont, 29, has been on the injured list since June 6 due to a neck strain. A couple of weeks ago, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported that he suffered a setback and would require further testing. His current timeline isn’t known, but he’ll now be officially ineligible to return until 60 days from his initial IL placement, which rules him out until early August. He’s yet to begin a rehab assignment, so it doesn’t seem like he’s especially close to returning anyhow. The righty has an ERA of 4.01 in his career, striking out 26.2% of batters faced but walking 13%.
Zerpa, 23, suffered a shoulder injury during Spring Training and has been on the injured list for the entire season until this point. He was able to collect major league pay and service time for the past few months, crossing over the one-year mark in the process, but that will stop for the time being. He has 16 innings of major league experience from the previous two seasons with a 1.13 ERA in that small sample.
He was stretched out as a starter during his recent rehab assignment and will provide the club with some rotation depth. He has just one option year remaining and will burn that last option as soon as he spends 20 days on optional assignment here in 2023. If he’s not quickly recalled in the next few weeks, he’ll be out of options in 2024.
Royals will call him back up after they trade off some of their players before the trade deadline.
Can’t he just dropped by the Thoracic Outlet Mall and buy a new one?
RIP to his career. that surgery is a death sentence to pitchers.
I can’t name 1 successful return, I’m missing someone?
Brad Penny?
The braves have a SS prospect that had the operation before even playing a MiLb game. Will be interesting to see if he makes it. not a pitcher, but still seems to be a challenge to come back from.
Jaime García came back and pitched but I wouldn’t have called it a success.
Down the rabbit hole and found Merrill Kelly.
I think Josh Beckett had it, came back for one pretty good season for the Dodgers (including a no-hitter), before retiring.
Mixed bag there, Beckett pitched well after but didn’t stick around long.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery has been the trendy high $ surgery of the 2020s that curtails MLB careers. It’s replaced Micro Fracture Surgery of the 2010s as the career killer.
I’ve suffered from TOS since my teens, multiple surgeries with ribs removed and all. Still suffer 24/7 and still require pain meds.
There’s a good chance guys like him and Strasburg never pitch again.
That escalated quickly.
TOS surgery is a joke. TOS itself is like ADHD. Everybody has it! Surprised a company hasn’t come up with a “pill” to cure it…