Minnesota Twins right-handed reliever Jose De Leon will miss the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in his pitching elbow, which will require Tommy John surgery, the team confirmed Monday.
De Leon sustained an apparent right flexor muscle strain while warming up in the top of the eighth inning of Minnesota's 3-2 loss to the host Detroit Tigers on Saturday. Instead, after further examination, he will undergo Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career -- having already missed the 2018 season after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
The 30-year-old was 0-1 with a 4.67 ERA in a career-high 12 appearances (one start) this season with the Twins.
The former 24th-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers debuted for them in 2016 before being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017. After his lost 2018 season, he worked his way back to pitch in three games in 2019 before being dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in 2020.
After on-field struggles in Cincinnati in 2020-21, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays but never made the big-league club.
Minnesota signed De Leon to a minor league contract last December. After a strong 2023 World Baseball Classic performance for Puerto Rico during the spring (10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 shutout innings), he pitched well enough for Triple-A St. Paul to find his way back to the major league club.
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