The New York Yankees were hit with a worrying Chad Green injury update earlier in the week. After the reliever underwent testing, Yankees fans' worst fears became a reality. According to Meredith Marakovits, Green has been diagnosed with a torn UCL and will be forced to undergo Tommy John surgery.
This is a huge loss for the Yankees and a devastating blow for Green, who figures to be sidelined until at least Opening Day of 2023. The Yankees had also just lost young pitcher Luis Gil to Tommy John surgery, so that marks another key arm they won't have available for the remainder of the season.
The Yankees bullpen has been elite to start the year, and Green was a key factor in that. Across 14 appearances, the 31-year-old had recorded a 3.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 15.0 innings. He recorded one save and had a 1-1 record in relief. He's coming off a strong 2021 season that saw him register 99 strikeouts in 83.2 innings while maintaining a solid 3.12 ERA.
With both him and Gil set to miss the rest of the year, the Yankees may look to acquire some bullpen reinforcements, While the rest of the arms on the roster have been doing their job, losing two key members of the bullpen is a big loss for any team.
We're wishing Green a swift recovery as he works his way back from the elbow injury, and hopefully, he will be just as sharp upon his return to the mound in 2023 when he's back at full strength.