Tommy John and Spring Training.

[Gregg]

Wow. This from USA Today:

Over the last five years, 27 percent of all Tommy John surgeries have occurred in March and April -- according to Jon Roegele’s Tommy John database. It is a staggering amount when you put it in context with the rest of the year. Last year, 26 of 81 total surgeries were undergone in those two months and just 32 over the last six months of the year. In 2015, there were 38 in February and March and 43 from July 1 on. In 2014, there were seven more Tommy John surgeries in the spring than there were after the end of June.

[Moonlight J]

Yep, the first two months of the year is the big danger zone. I don't know how much of that is the layoff & then the ramp up

[Sour Masher]

Yeah, layoff, ramp up, weather...it makes sense.

[Moonlight J]

We may already have our first victim

http://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/831560750476955648

[madducks]

And right on cue Alex Reyes gets sent for an MRI on his arm this morniing. Uh-oh.

edit: You beat me to it MJ.

[Teenwolf]

This is why I've always despised pitching prospects. Reyes was the closest I've come to developing an ace from the farm in 20 years... then poof. TINSTAPP.

I prefer the post-hype market for acquiring breakout SP's. Drafting and developing aces is just too damn difficult without avoiding Tommy John, trade to the other league, or failure rate. I'm hoping Dan Norris and Tyler Skaggs break out this year at $3 each for me, but I bet their original farm owners aren't thrilled with the return on their first few MLB years.

AL Farm Draft is looking interesting this year being stacked with possible SP1's (Giolito, De Leon, R. Lopez, Groome, Puk, Manning, F. Perez, G. Holmes are mostly consensus top 100 prospects), but I still think you're better off chasing hitters in the draft, even if it requires a deeper dig, or going "off list" for a personal pick.

[revo]

And right on cue Alex Reyes gets sent for an MRI on his arm this morniing. Uh-oh.

edit: You beat me to it MJ.

Yep. TJ surgery scheduled. See you in 2019!

[kawaise]

How do the number of TJ surgeries here compare to Japan? This information seems harder to find than you'd think.

[Gregg]

How do the number of TJ surgeries here compare to Japan? This information seems harder to find than you'd think.

Maybe it is not called Tommy John surgery in Japan?

[harmon]

Maybe it is not called Tommy John surgery in Japan?

Tomohito Johnsayanora

[umjewman]

Tomohito Johnsayanora

I was going to go with Sadaharu Oh Surgery. I know he was a hitter, but they really like that guy in Japan.