After getting a reported third opinion from a doctor on his elbow, Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is not currently estimated to undergo Tommy John surgery on his elbow, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
The positive development comes after Sale’s elbow MRI was reviewed by Red Sox team doctors, then Dr. James Andrews, then Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Wednesday, according to the Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham.
“We want to make sure that we get everybody's opinion on this,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said, per the Globe. “We need to get this right. It's a very important player that we want to do things the right way.”
Sale reportedly started experiencing left elbow soreness on Sunday, followed by the Monday MRI.
He had previously missed the end of last campaign due to elbow inflammation, but received a PRP injection in his elbow and was cleared by Andrews to throw in December.
Sunday’s ill-fated live batting practice was reportedly the first time Sale had faced batters since last season, and he again felt pain in his elbow.
Sale was set to start the regular season on the injured list due to a case of pneumonia that delayed his start at spring training, and he seems almost certain to miss even more time as he treats and rests his elbow.
There is a very good chance Sale is merely delaying Tommy John, meaning he would go from potentially being available in 2021 had he undergone the surgery soon to missing the entire 2021 season. Add in the fact that the Red Sox aren’t even expected to be contenders this year and, yeah, that sounds like a foolish move, but it’s important to remember that Tommy John surgery is not an automatic success.
To many, Tommy John surgery is three words that mean a pitcher will miss a season and possibly more, but for the player, it means a year of painful and frustrating rehab. That’s not even to mention that while the success rate of the surgery is certainly high, there’s always a chance it or an after-effect could make things even worse.
