Josh Edgin Debating Tommy John Surgery
Bad news out of Port St. Lucie Thursday morning — Josh Edgin, the Mets lone lefty in the pen, could need Tommy John surgery and miss the entire season. It begs the question — will Edgin ever reach the potential he showed early in his career?
Edgin returned from New York after undergoing an examination on his left elbow. He was diagnosed with a stretched ligament and a bony mass, whatever that is. Now the question is whether Edgin will try rehab or go under the knife.
“It’s not a black-and-white situation,” Sandy Alderson said according to MLB.com. “There’s a certain amount of gray area here that requires some judgment on the physician’s part, as well as Josh deciding exactly how he wants to approach it.
“We’re going to let Josh sort through the information. We’ve talked about it and we’ve talked with the doctor. But look, I’m not the patient. I’m not the person who’s got the injury or the career in front of it.”
It was obviously unsettling news for Edgin.
“It’s disappointing, yes,” Edgin said. “Actually, really disappointing. We’re going to have a great year this year, whether it’s with me or without me.”
Josh Edgin burst onto the scene in 2012, getting a mid-season call-up and striking out 30 batters in 25.2 innings. His 4.56 ERA was a bit deceiving; two Ryan Howard home runs in his final two appearances jacked his ERA up by a point and a half.
He made the team out of Spring Training in 2013 but faltered early, requiring a trip to the minors. He came back and pitched reasonably well.
Edgin was all-but guaranteed a spot in the bullpen in 2014 but he was terrible in Spring Training and was among the first cuts. After a stint in the minors, he returned and pitched very well for the rest of the season — 1.32 ERA, 28 strikeouts in 27.1 innings as a lefty specialist.
He was just starting to come into his own, and now this — a major bump in his already up and down career. Josh Edgin is 28 years old; still young, but no spring chicken in the baseball world. Whether by surgery or not, hopefully Edgin will recover and show the promise he might still have.