| Detroit Free Press
Alex Faedo throws a bullpen session at Detroit Tigers spring training
Alex Faedo throws a bullpen session at Detroit Tigers spring training in Lakeland, Fla. on Feb. 18, 2020.
Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press Columnist
Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Alex Faedo will have Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow, effectively ending his 2021 season before it even starts.
The team announced Saturday that Faedo needs to have his ulnar collateral ligament reconstructed. The typical timetable for recovery is 14 to 16 months. The right-hander is the Tigers’ No. 10 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
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“After consultation between our club medical experts and outside specialists, the recommendation was made for Alex Faedo to undergo reconstructive surgery of his UCL on his right arm,” Tigers general manager Al Avila said in a released statement on Saturday.
“Alex is in agreement with this course of action, and is scheduled to have the procedure later this month. We know he will approach the process with the necessary dedication that gets him back on the mound.”
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Faedo, the No. 18 overall pick in the 2017 draft, is the second top prospect within the organization in as many years to undergo Tommy John surgery. In March, left-hander Joey Wentz, the team’s No. 9 prospect, had his elbow reconstruction and hopes to throw bullpen sessions this spring.
“I’m ready to start this process and excited to get back to being healthy and contributing to the Tigers. Big things coming with this organization and I’m really excited to see the boys get after 2021,” Faedo said on Twitter on Saturday.
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In 2019, Faedo logged a 3.90 ERA with 134 strikeouts and 25 walks for Double-A Erie. With the minors canceled last season, he went to the alternate training site in Toledo but was shut down — along with fellow top prospect Matt Manning — in late August.
Both pitchers had forearm strains. Neither injury was originally thought to be serious. Manning is the Tigers’ No. 3 prospect. They spent October and November in Lakeland, Florida, home of the team’s spring training facility, to rehab.
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“I’ve been throwing like three times a week and doing drills and stuff on the other days and working out again,” Faedo told the Free Press in October. “That’s basically what I’m doing in Lakeland for the next couple of weeks, just to give myself a few more weeks with the team to make sure I’m ready to go for this offseason.
“Because I got a lot of expectations going into next year.”