Chad Green has been one of the rocks of the New York Yankees’ bullpen since he made his MLB debut with the team back in 2016. In fact, Green won 10 games in relief a season ago — pitching to a 3.12 ERA with a 0.88 WHIP in 67 games.
Unfortunately, the impending free agent will be lost for the remainder of the 2022 season and likely a good chunk of the 2023 campaign.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Sunday that Green will undergo Tommy John surgery after suffering an elbow injury during Thursday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Green exited the game on Thursday after something felt off. Immediately after his appearance, Boone noted that New York feared the injury to be significant.
For MLB’s best team, the timing here is horrible. It comes one day after the Yankees announced fellow pitcher Luis Gil would also undergo Tommy John surgery.
Chad Green injury and impact on the New York Yankees
From a micro perspective, this is just horrible news for Green. He had been among the most reliable relievers in the game over the past six-plus seasons. In fact, Green last found himself on the injured list all the way back in 2016.
Set to become a free agent, this is going to affect his market. Typically, players miss between 12 and 18 months after undergoing TJS.
- Chad Green stats (career): 33-22 record, 3.17 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 3.20 strikeout/walk ratio
Thus far this season, Green was pitching to a 3.00 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 14 games. He was heading a pen that continues to pitch at a high level. That includes Clay Holmes posting a 0.42 ERA and Miguel Castro pitching at an incredibly high level.
The onus moving forward might end up being on the rotation pitching deeper into game. Jameson Taillon, Jordan Montgomery and Luis Severino are averaging roughly five innings per start. Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes have done better to last later into games.
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