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Ricky Tiedemann of the Blue Jays to undergo Tommy John surgery
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    Ricky Tiedemann of the Blue Jays to undergo Tommy John surgery

    TORONTO — Ricky Tiedemann is scheduled for ligament-reconstruction surgery on his left elbow next week, the latest pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays organization to undergo a major procedure this season.

    Manager John Schneider revealed the news Saturday after the 21-year-old top pitching prospect visited specialists Dr. Keith Meister and Dr. Neal ElAttrache for second and third opinions on his troublesome elbow.

    ElAttrache will perform the procedure, also known as Tommy John surgery, on Tuesday, effectively ruling Tiedemann out of factoring into the Blue Jays mix in 2025. Health issues limited him to 62 innings last season and just 17.1 innings this season.

    At the big-league level, Alek Manoah underwent the hybrid UCL reconstruction and internal brace procedure, as did two other top pitching prospects, Brandon Barriera and Landen Maroudis. All-star closer Jordan Romano, meanwhile, is still recovering from arthroscopic surgery to repair an impingement in his right elbow.

    The slew of injuries come after an extended period of relative health among Blue Jays pitchers organization-wide with Hyun Jin Ryu in 2022 the most prominent pitcher to undergo Tommy John. Free-agent signee Kirby Yates had the procedure in spring training 2021.

    “Some of it is fact of life. Some of it is risk that you take with any pitcher,” Schneider said of how hard the organization has been hit this season. “The last couple of years, we’ve been one of, if not the healthiest organization kind of up and down. You try to stay ahead of it. It’s almost impossible to do. But you look at everything from strength and conditioning, throwing programs, how much they’re throwing in the off-season. Our processes and programs have been pretty steady. But, yeah, it’s been a tough year kind of up and down.”

    The volume of major pitching injuries across the industry this year has prompted some to describe the situation as a crisis, one with no clear answers.

    MLB’s competition committee is doing an extensive study of what can be done to alleviate the problems some feel are rooted in the sport’s ever-increasing pursuit of more and more velocity.

    “I think every team is kind of examining that now,” said Schneider. “It has been for the last couple of years a big push in velo, stuff, max effort. You see it all around the industry, even in the off-season, guys throwing hard. Talking to Dave Bush (Friday), he’s over there with Texas and said (Jacob) deGrom is throwing 97 in his bullpens. He hasn’t even faced hitters yet. He’s a freak, but you look at our spring training and how hard guys are throwing early, everyone kind of deals with that. Definitely conversations within the organization that we have to try to combat it.”

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    Ricky Tiedemann, a promising young pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, a procedure that has become increasingly common among professional baseball players. The surgery, named after former Major League pitcher Tommy John who was the first to undergo the procedure in 1974, involves repairing a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in the elbow.

    Tiedemann, who was drafted by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2018 MLB Draft, has shown great potential on the mound with his impressive fastball and sharp breaking ball. However, he has been dealing with elbow discomfort for some time now, and after consulting with team doctors, it was determined that Tommy John surgery was the best course of action to repair the damage to his UCL.

    The recovery process for Tommy John surgery is lengthy, typically taking 12-18 months for pitchers to fully regain their strength and range of motion. During this time, Tiedemann will undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation to strengthen his elbow and shoulder muscles, as well as work on his pitching mechanics to prevent future injuries.

    While Tommy John surgery has a high success rate and many pitchers are able to return to their pre-injury form, there is always a risk of complications or setbacks during the recovery process. The Blue Jays organization will be closely monitoring Tiedemann’s progress and providing him with the necessary support and resources to ensure a successful recovery.

    In the meantime, Tiedemann’s absence will be felt on the Blue Jays pitching staff, as he was seen as a key piece of their future rotation. However, the team is confident in their depth and talent within the organization and will look to other pitchers to step up in Tiedemann’s absence.

    Overall, Tommy John surgery is a common procedure in baseball today, and while it is unfortunate that Tiedemann will be sidelined for an extended period of time, the hope is that he will come back stronger and healthier than ever before. The Blue Jays and their fans will be eagerly awaiting his return to the mound.