The young 2024 MLB season has been an absolute disaster for the Miami Marlins, and it’s only getting worse. On Wednesday, Miami officially fell to 0-7 just hours before Ken Rosenthal reported on the possibility of a sell-off at the deadline. Well, more demoralizing news came out on Thursday, as the team announced that Eury Pérez will undergo Tommy John surgery on Monday.
Tommy John surgery for Eury Pérez on Monday #Marlins announce
— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) April 4, 2024
The surgery will sideline Pérez for the rest of this season and parts of 2025. The 20-year-old first experienced elbow soreness in the middle of March. Testing initially revealed inflammation in his right elbow, but no structural damage.
While the team knew the ailment would require Pérez to start the season on the injured list, surgery seemed to be off the table. However, Pérez will go under the knife less than a month after first experiencing discomfort.
Eury Pérez to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
A top prospect in the Marlins system, Pérez made his major league debut in 2023 and shined. The lanky right tossed 91 1/3 innings across 19 starts and posted a 3.15 ERA (142 ERA+). Per Statcast, Pérez ranked among the best in the game in metrics like Whiff, Chase, and Strikeout percentage.
While many young flamethrowers lack command and/or secondary pitches, Pérez succeeded by having a good feel for multiple solid pitches. He paired his high-9o’s four-seamer with effective sliders and curveballs while showing above-average command.
Top-ranked @Marlins prospect Eury Pérez brings the heat for MLB strikeout No. 1 at 98.1 mph! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/R4HMDO8udm
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 12, 2023
Young pitchers with electric stuff like Pérez typically strike a lot of batters out while simultaneously lacking command and control. This was not the case with Pérez, as he paired a great strikeout rate with an average walk rate.
That said, pitchers, especially hard throwers, are as fragile as ever. So far in his brief career, Pérez is no different. Prior to his current elbow injury, Pérez missed time in 2023 with left SI joint inflammation.
Injuries Throughout The Marlins Starting Rotation
Pérez will have Tommy John surgery around a year after his mentor and fellow Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara. Plus, Miami experienced injuries to starters Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera in spring training. The Marlins hoped that Pérez would return mid-season and take another step forward. Unfortunately, the fish will have to rely on their makeshift rotation for longer than they hoped.
Main Photo: © Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
