On Monday, Toronto Blue Jays closer Ken Giles announced that he will be forced to undergo Tommy John surgery. Giles made the announcement in a post on his wife’s personal Instagram account.
“Citizens Bank Park, the place I started my Major League career,” Giles wrote. “Now it will be the last Major League stadium while I put my career on pause to go through the long journey of Tommy John surgery. I know I will come back stronger and better than I ever was before. I have gone through a lot of ups and downs throughout my career, but never let any of this stop me from being one of the best in the game. I will be back.”
Ken Giles To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Giles has been plagued with arm injuries throughout the 2020 season and was just recently reinstated from the 45-day injured list. The 30-year-old made only two appearances before being sidelined again with a right forearm strain. After receiving feedback from doctors, Giles determined that surgery was his best option to address the injury. He finishes the season with a 9.82 ERA, four walks, and six strikeouts in four appearances.
The bad news for Giles is that this will not only end his 2020 campaign but will most likely sideline him for the entire 2021 season as well. After an impressive campaign in 2019 (23 saves, 1.87 ERA, and 83 strikeouts in 53 innings), this was not the season Giles was hoping for as he heads into free agency in 2021. However, there is always the possibility that a team will take a flyer on a low-cost, two-year deal as he works his way back from Tommy John. In his career, Giles sports a 14-18 record, 2.74 ERA (148 ERA+), 110 walks, and 478 strikeouts in 351 innings.
This will be a significant blow for a Blue Jays team that is currently in a playoff spot. Although Toronto has fared well without Giles this season, they were expecting him to give their bullpen a boost down the stretch.
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