Washington Nationals’ Lucas Giolito will probably undergo Tommy John Surgery - MLB Update
The first round draft pick by the Washington Nationals, pitcher Lucas Giolito is likely to undergo Tommy John Surgery.
This has been feared after he threw for the Gulf Coast League Nationals and saw his fastballs’ speed declining sharply after just two innings. The team doctor Wiemi Douoguih has checked him and further revelations about his elbow will be made once he attends
the orthopedist Lewis Yocum for a second opinion.
Giolito is extremely talented as his fastballs are impressive. The kind of credentials he has shown, the Nationals expect him to play an important role in their pitching department for years to come. However, the possibility of going through Tommy John Surgery
by Giolito is not a great sign.
Nationals have two pitchers already on the rotation namely Jordan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg that experienced the Tommy John Surgery before they came back and put up stunning performances.
Although nothing has been confirmed about when Giolito will undergo the surgery, General Manager Mike Rizzo believes the team officials knew he will go through such a treatment somewhere down the line. Rizzo clarifies that by the time he was picked they
were aware of the fact that his elbow is vulnerable and therefore may need the surgery at any time during his career.
"Yes, we knew when we drafted him this was an issue," Rizzo said. "And, you know, we were comfortable with the fact that [the] worst-case scenario was Tommy John surgery, and we'll see where that's headed. Going into this with our eyes wide open, we felt
this was a scenario and a possibility."
The issues with his elbow were the reason why Giolito’s hype as the top 2012 Major League Draft prospect diminished when the choices were actually made. The teams showed reluctance despite the fact that his talent was unquestionable and worth stealing attention
of the scouts. He ended up as the 16th overall pick and was selected by the Nationals.
The Nationals will be hoping that Giolito returns stronger after recovering from his injury. It will be interesting to see how much time he takes to rehabilitate and whether or not he goes through the surgery.
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