Toronto Blue Jays’ left-handed pitcher Ricky Tiedemann will have Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, as announced by manager John Schneider.
Tiedemann, who turns 22 on August 18, has only played in eight games this season. His ERA stands at 5.19, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is 1.69, with an unusual number of walks (16 in 17 innings). Durability has always been a concern since he went pro in 2021; he’s pitched just 140 innings in the minors and hasn’t reached even 80 innings in a single year.
Back in spring, Tiedemann was ranked No. 38 on CBS Sports’ top 50 prospect list. Here’s what was said:
> “Tiedemann closed out the season with a Triple-A start that saw him strike out six of the 14 batters he faced. Even so, the error bars on his outlook remain as wide as any other top-50 caliber prospect. Since being drafted in 2021, he’s thrown a total of 122 innings, including 44 this season. (He did throw an additional 18 frames in the Arizona Fall League.) In theory, Tiedemann should be at least a mid-rotation starter thanks to three plus or better pitches — a mid-90s fastball, changeup, and sweeping slider — that he delivers from a low slot. In reality, he’s going to need to prove he can handle a starter’s workload sooner than later if he wants to avoid being shifted to the bullpen.”
Blue Jays’ Struggles Continue:
This surgery adds to the woes for the Blue Jays this season . They had a disappointing record of 47-56 by Saturday and are trailing by nine and a half games for the final wild-card spot.
Fans might feel like this news is just another blow to their hopes for this season.
The team is likely looking to trade some players before Tuesday’s trade deadline due to their current standing.
What do you think about all these changes?
