Angels left-hander Patrick Sandoval informed reporters that he has a high-grade flexor tear and a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left arm. Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com was amongst these to relay the information on X. Whereas Bollinger makes use of the phrase “Tommy John surgical procedure,” Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register says on X that the precise nature of the surgical procedure isn’t but clear. Regardless, the lefty is finished for this yr and a part of 2025 as properly.
The information is clearly devastating, each for Sandoval personally and for the Angels as a staff. Because the membership has struggled to seek out constant high quality pitching lately, the southpaw has been one of many few shiny spots of their employees.
Because the begin of 2021, Sandoval has tossed 460 innings for the membership, permitting 3.80 earned runs per 9 frames. He struck out 22.6 % of batters confronted in that point with a ten.2 % stroll charge and 47.3 % floor ball charge. Sadly, he needed to go away Friday’s begin in apparent ache and was positioned on the 15-day injured listing with an elbow pressure, and now the choice has been made that surgical procedure is required.
Sandoval certified for arbitration after 2022 as a Tremendous Two participant. He made $2.75M final yr and is making $5.025M this yr, with two extra arbitration seasons remaining. With the Angels having a poor season and no return to rivalry in sight, he might have been made accessible at this summer time’s deadline and been one of many extra enticing arms available on the market, one thing that MLBTR’s Steve Adams lately took a have a look at.
Now that received’t be on the desk and Sandoval is a prolonged layoff. A full Tommy John surgical procedure normally comes with a restoration timeline of 14 to 18 months, which might put his 2025 season in jeopardy. The interior brace selection can generally have shorter timelines, however solely by a number of months.
The Angels will switch Sandoval to the 60-day injured listing once they want a roster spot however he’ll should be reinstated for the offseason. Assuming they tender him a contract for 2025, he received’t have the ability to get a lot of a increase on the heels of this truncated season. The membership could also be tempted to non-tender a pitcher who might not contribute something subsequent yr, however pitchers on this state of affairs usually signal two-year offers to cowl their restoration and return to the mound. The Angels can successfully try this simply by tendering him a deal for subsequent yr after which for 2026.
It’s additionally one other problem for a rotation that has had loads. Reid Detmers struggled sufficient this yr that he was optioned right down to the minors. Tyler Anderson is having an excellent yr however is 34 years previous and has one yr left on his contract, making him a logical commerce candidate. Griffin Canning has only one yr of management past this yr as properly. Chase Silseth and José Soriano are additionally on the injured listing. Zach Plesac has been added to the roster these days however hasn’t discovered a lot success in his first two begins. With Sandoval’s surgical procedure, piecing collectively the rotation can be even tougher, each this yr and subsequent yr.
For Sandoval personally, he’ll lose the rest of his age-27 season and a good chunk of his age-28 season as properly, placing an enormous dent in his incomes energy. He’ll flip 29 years previous in October of subsequent yr.
