The top pitching prospect for the New York Yankees, James Kaprielian, is going under the knife for Tommy John.
Elbow issues have plagued right-handed prospect James Kaprielian for both of his first two professional seasons in the Yankees farm system. So, it seemed only a matter of time before the 23-year-old out of UCLA would need a season-ending surgery. After experiencing more discomfort this spring, Kaprielian will undergo Tommy John next week.
The upcoming surgery was confirmed by the Yankees on Thursday morning.
RHP James Kaprielian is scheduled to undergo "Tommy John" surgery on Tuesday, 4/18. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) April 13, 2017
In his first two seasons, Kaprielian has only been able to pitch in 14 games, logging 56.0 innings. Only seven of his appearances came outside of the Arizona Fall League, and he pitched only three times for the High-A Tampa Yankees last year. When he has been on the mound, Kaprielian has lived up to his lofty draft status, striking out over ten batters per nine innings.
This surgery will keep Kaprielian out until at least 2018, and poses a serious threat to his long-term development. Fangraphs rated him very highly entering the 2017 season and projected him to have three plus pitches by the time he reached the big leagues. Kaprielian has a fastball that can reach 99, averaging 95 even with continued elbow issues, a mid-80s slider, and a good curveball with depth. He could also continue developing a changeup to have four quality offerings.
Even with surgery, Kaprielian could emerge as an ace for the Yankees. After years of elbow and shoulder troubles, Dylan Bundy appears on the verge of becoming the ace the Baltimore Orioles have been seeking for years. It is far too early to lose hope in Kaprielian, just push his ETA back another year. Getting this surgery out of the way now could allow him to stay healthier in the future with the proper handling.