Right-hander Tejay Antone threw just one pitch before leaving with an injury in today’s 3-1 Reds loss to the Mets. Antone entered for a relief appearance in the sixth inning, but after his opening pitch to Tyrone Taylor, Antone stepped off the mound and was in visible discomfort. After the game, Reds manager David Bell told reporters (including Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that Antone will get an MRI to evaluate the soreness in his right elbow.
Given Antone’s checkered injury history, the best-case scenario here would be a 15-day stint on the injured list, as the Reds might be cautious even if the MRI comes back clean. However, it looks like Antone might be facing yet another notable injury in a career marked by significant health problems.
Antone has two Tommy John surgeries on his record — one in 2017 while on the way up the ladder in Cincinnati’s farm system, and the other in August 2021. The rehab process for the latter procedure sidelined Antone for the entirety of the 2022 season, and he then hit another roadblock with a flexor strain in February 2023. While he avoided another surgery, Antone didn’t return to big league action until last September, and he made only five appearances before hitting the IL again due to elbow discomfort.
Antone looked like a promising relief weapon in his first two big league seasons, posting a 2.48 ERA in 69 innings in 2020-21. Powered with a mid-90s fastball, a plus curveball, and a ton of spin on both pitches, Antone struck out 32.3% of batters and posted a 48% grounder rate. Since Opening Day 2022, however, Antone has thrown only 7 2/3 innings at the MLB level, and it remains to be seen if his arm can hold up long enough for the righty to deliver on his early-career promise.
The Reds have already been hit hard by bullpen injuries, as Sam Moll, Ian Gibaut, and Alex Young all began the season on the 15-day IL. Moll and Gibaut have at least started rehab outings and are on track to be back before the end of April, but if Antone is now going to be sidelined, that will leave Cincinnati further short-handed in the relief corps.
Has there been any MLB pitchers that successfully returned from 3 TJ surgeries? I thought there was perhaps one.
Venters. “3 & 1/2“
Ahem. Clip asked if there were any who successfully returned. Centers returned, but he certainly wasn’t his dominant old self.
Well he made it back… I’d call that a success
I’ve always loved baseball, until these last few years. This pitching scenario is garbage and being controlled by jackasses. Can’t last 5 innings? How pathetic. Pitchers used to pitch out of situations. Not now, Lets let mommy take care of it. Let them pitch out of it! Ugh…
Curly, Kay and Paul O’Neill were discussing that on the broadcast yesterday. Kay opined that baseball may consider changing the rules to less than five innings for a SP to qualify for a win. With the way SP is handled, I certainly could see that happening.
If they can’t pitch five innings, they shouldn’t consider themselves a starting pitcher and shouldn’t get a win.
My opinion, and I admit I’m old school.
How about not going max effort every pitch? Learn how to pitch rather than how to throw. Starting pitchers for years knew how to last and amp it up when it counted.
I have a proposal I wouls like to see. Get rid of the radar gun readings in stadiums. They have caused more trouble than it’s worth.
Not that I recall, Clip. A lot with two, though, sadly.
I love Tejay and feel for the dude, but think after this, he is probably done.
Santillan will be back tomorrow. He has pitched well in Louisville.
Santillan’s on a minor league deal. If it’s him that means they already know Antone is done and going immediately to the 60-day IL. They might just call up someone like Legumina or Zulueta as a stopgap for a couple of days, then move Nick Martinez to the bullpen when Lodolo is activated later this week.
I agree Reds will bring up someone already on the 40 man with an option. In the next 10 days Lodolo, Moll, and possibly Gibaut will all be added to active roster. Besides Antone a couple more option to AAA or dfa(s) have to be made. Santillan will get his chance later- but when he has a solid chance to stick on the active roster. FWIW Reds bullpen completed the game with 4 scoreless innings. Sad about Tejay.
Bro cant catch a break
TJ seems like a nice guy but the guy needs to call it a career or maybe learn how to throw a knuckle ball.
Johnny Bench had the best method to catch a knuckleball: “wait until it quits rolling and pick it up.”
Somebody told me once Bob Uecker said it first, but I first heard it from Johnny when the Reds were considering dealing for Phil Niekro.
Great quote regardless, and I like seeing a good knucklball pitcher making guys look foolish. Then again, I never had to catch a good one during my playing years.
Does anybody know how Alex Blandino is coming in his quest to reinvent himself as a knuckleball pitcher?
Ow ow what’s that? Tommy John! Tommy John who? Tommy John surgery!
SMH – feel so bad for Tejay, watching this today was really sad. This is his third arm injury, been through 2 Tommy John’s already.
I bet f-bomb #78 was heard when you saw that!
I know I did. I have seen that in real life too many times.
Too bad for him and the Reds. Hopefully it’s not the worst case scenario.
I don’t know much about him, but with 2 Tommy Johns already, does anyone know if he’s a high spin rate or high velocity guy? The players needs to strike if this is all because of pitch clock and hopefully it will force Manfraud to get rid of it, but if it’s because of addiction to spin rate or velocity, the stats nerds need to accept responsibility and they should still axe the pitch clock.
This has nothing to do with the pitch clock.Pitcher arm injuries were spiking before the pitch clock was instituted. The elbow wasn’t “designed” to withstand the forces that today’s pitchers exert on it.
He was a high velocity guy at first but is a different pitcher now, as one would expect after Tommy John surgeries.
I couldn’t feel worse for this guy, but I love that he keeps getting up off the mat. The Reds would be doing themselves a huge favor by keeping him in the organization after his playing days are over!