LOS ANGELES, CA: Reporters were informed by Angels left-hander Patrick Sandoval that he has a damaged ulnar collateral ligament and a high-grade flexor tear in his left arm that will require Tommy John surgery. Sam Blum of The Athletic was first on the report.
The devastating news for both Sandoval and the Angels comes at a huge cost. Sandoval is expected to miss a significant amount of time, potentially until 2026.
The southpaw has been one of the few bright spots on the club's staff in recent years as they have battled to find regular, high-caliber pitching.
Sandoval has pitched 460 innings for the team since the beginning of 2021, giving up 3.80 earned runs every nine innings. During that period, he struck out 22.6% of batters faced while walking 10.2% of them and groundballing 47.3% of them.
Sadly, he was forced to leave Friday's game in clear discomfort due to an elbow issue, and it has now been determined that surgery is necessary. He was put on the 15-day disabled list.
When the Angels decide who will take Sandoval’s roster spot, they will move Sandoval on the 60-day injured list. After this shortened season, he won't be able to receive much of a raise—assuming they award him a contract for 2025.
Although the team would be tempted to forego tendering a pitcher who might not make much of an impact the next season, pitchers in this situation typically sign two-year contracts to cover their recuperation and return to the mound. The Angels may accomplish that simply by offering him a contract for 2026 in addition to next year.
Sandoval has pitched to a 5.08 ERA with a 2-8 record. The lefty is just shy of 80 innings pitched in 2024. Sandoval will be entering his age 28-29 season depending on the timeline of his recovery.
Comments