Gemini right handed Jose De Leon has torn a ligament in his elbow and needs an operation, reports Tommy John Bobby Nightengale from the Star Tribune. As Nightengale points out, this will be the second Tommy John for De León, who also underwent the procedure in 2018.
It’s a very unfortunate blow for 30-year-old De León, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career. Once considered one of the top contenders in the league, Baseball America placed him in the top 30 of the Top 100 list in 2016 and 2017. His first TJS ruined his 2018 and part of his 2019, then he struggled to get his 2020 and 2021 on track. Last year he signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays but was injured in the spring and didn’t play an official game until August.
This year, De León seemed to be on the right track. He joined Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic and threw 5 2/3 innings without a goal, during which time he had 10 strikeouts. He then moved to Triple-A St. Paul and posted a 3.62 ERA in 27 1/3 innings. That got him back into the big leagues and he had a 4.67 ERA over 17 1/3 innings for the Twins before being put on the injured list yesterday with a right flexor strain.
Unfortunately, his most encouraging performance in years is now being prematurely ended. He will miss the remainder of the 2023 season and likely much of the 2024 season as well, given the 14 to 18 months of recovery time that is generally required after TJS.
He will certainly be placed on the 60-day injured list once the Twins need his roster spot and will remain there for the remainder of the season and receive major league salaries for the next few months. In doing so, he will exceed his three-year tenure and be eligible for arbitration this winter, although the club are likely to opt not to tender given his impending absence and uncertain health.