Chicago White Sox: Carlos Rodon getting Tommy John surgery
The Chicago White Sox starter is going to miss the remainder of the 2019 season and a chunk of the 2020 season after the procedure.
The Chicago White Sox biggest fear is realized. It seemed like it was a guarantee anyway but they announced on Monday that starting pitcher Carlos Rodon would go on and have Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow. This procedure will cause Rodon to miss the rest of the 2019 season and at least the first half of the 2020 season.
This isn’t the best news for any White Sox fan because Rodon has shown that when he is healthy and at his best, he is a phenomenal pitcher and could even be the ace of a staff. There is a reason he was the opening day starter in 2019. Now they will play the waiting game to see if they can ever get the good Rodon back on their mound playing to his potential.
Rodon has dealt with injuries most of his young MLB career and that has caused him to miss some time throughout. He has pitched well when he is there and this is a tough blow to the staff for not only this season but some of next as well.
The White Sox have already claimed that this will not affect the timeline of any potential call ups to a guy like Dylan Cease, but he is sure to make his Major League debut sometime later this season. Michael Kopech did the same thing last year, although he also underwent Tommy John and will be out for all of 2019.
2020 is a bright side to this whole equation because it makes it okay that it happened to Rodon now. No, you don’t want it to ever happen to a guy but at least he might be able to come back in late 2020 to a team that might be trying to make a push. Kopech will be back from his surgery and adding Rodon might be the equivalent of a great trade deadline pickup.
It is important now that he gets himself back to 100 percent and makes sure he is healthy in time for the fun years which could be as early as next season. Better that it happened now instead of in the middle of next season.
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The White Sox also announced that Nate Jones underwent surgery to fix a flexor mass tear. He will miss the rest of the season as well. Eloy Jimenez will return to Charlotte for a rehab assignment and should be back with the big club soon.