Red Sox prospect Bryan Mata undergoes season-ending Tommy John surgery
Mata, the Red Sox's top pitching prospect, suffered a partial UCL tear during Spring Training.
Bryan Mata’s 2021 season is over before it began.
The Red Sox announced their top pitching prospect will miss the rest of the season after undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. Mata underwent the procedure in Los Angeles under the care of Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who also oversaw Chris Sale’s Tommy John surgery last year.
Mata suffered a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his pitching arm in March but opted for rest before attempting surgery, with the Red Sox shutting him down for three weeks after the injury. He restarted his throwing program toward the end of big-league camp before deciding to have surgery.
Mata had established himself as the consensus top Red Sox pitching prospect entering 2021, with the possibility of reaching the big leagues this year. Now, he probably won’t see game action in the minors till mid- to late-2022. Tough news for a promising young pitcher.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) April 14, 2021
The 22-year-old Venezuelan has posted a 3.40 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 69 minor league starts, including a 3.43 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 21 starts at both High-A Salem and Double-A Portland in 2019.
He is regarded as the fourth-best overall prospect in the Red Sox organization behind Triston Casas, Bobby Dalbec, and Jeter Downs, according to Baseball America.
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