During last Thursday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees star reliever Chad Green had to leave in the middle of an at-bat with forearm tightness.
Immediately upon learning about the injury and its nature, the Yankees had Green undergo test and imaging to determine its extent, but were already fearing the worst.
Indeed, the worst-case scenario presented itself: the right-hander will be undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery.
His season is now over.
In reality, since he will be a free agent after the season, it’s quite likely he has thrown his last pitch as a member of the Yankees.
Of course, it’s too early to know for sure, but the best he could shoot for is being ready in the second half of the 2023 season, and that may be a stretch.
According to MLB.com’s beat writer for the Yankees Bryan Hoch, Green provided some details about his upcoming surgery.
“Chad Green said that he has selected Dr. Keith Meister to perform his Tommy John surgery. It will take place next week,” Hoch tweeted.
Chad Green said that he has selected Dr. Keith Meister to perform his Tommy John surgery. It will take place next week. #Yankees
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) May 23, 2022
The Yankees Will Definitely Miss Green, As Their Bullpen Is Not As Deep As It Used To Be
Losing Green is a huge blow for the Yankees bullpen, a unit that hasn’t enjoyed the best versions of Jonathan Loaisiga and Aroldis Chapman so far in 2022.
That’s why Green’s absence will sting: he was one of the most consistently reliable relievers on the Yankees.
His season ends with 15 innings of a 3.00 ERA.
Will his Yankees tenure end with the same numbers?
We will find out in the fall.
In any case, Green has the love and support of one of the most demanding fan bases in American sports.
He has been excellent the last few years, and will be missed by the Bombers.
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