Although it is not severe, injury has become an early trend for the New York Yankees this spring. Camp is in progress and some players have been sidelined pending surgery or recovery. The Yankees’ most recent injury is that of pitching prospect Thatcher Hurd.
Slugger Giancarlo Stanton is suffering from elbow pain. It’s not so much of an injury, but an issue that will delay him from getting his swings in. He is day-to-day, with no certainty for an Opening Day return.
Right-handed pitcher Clayton Beeter and outfielder Trent Gisham are on recovery plans. They are on the back end of their recoveries, and they’ve begun the rehab process to return to play in spring training.
Chase Hampton was one of the most concerning injuries due to his progress and development as a prospect. His return is delayed until 2026 due to a season-ending procedure and testing.
To make matters even worse in the farm system, you can add Hurd to that list of injuries.
Breaking: Yankees 2024 3rd round pick Thatcher Hurd will have Tommy John surgery next week.
More details at @BaseballAmerica
— Geoff Pontes (@GeoffPontesBA) February 21, 2025
Yankees Prospect Thatcher Hurd to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Imagine the dream of hearing your name in the MLB draft after a phenomenal college career. Then imagine an injury stunting your progression right off the bat. The injury news was a heartbreaker for the Yankees and for Hurd.
The prospect pitcher will reportedly undergo Tommy John surgery this month to repair a UCL in his right elbow. This most certainly will put an end to his 2025 season due to recovery time and rehab.
The Yankees drafted him in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of the mighty Louisiana State University (LSU).
Drafted at age 21, he was a junior out of college. The prospect spent his freshman year at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) before transferring. Hurd is now 22 years old.
The pitcher was ranked number 23 as a prospect. His draft stock paid him $873,400 in the third round. The prospect was shining bright in the Southeastern Conference of the NCAA. His ability to pitch was highly recognized by scouts and college baseball writers.
Surgery to Affect Hurd’s Development
The right-handed prospect finished with 141 1/3 innings in college. He finished with a 4.94 ERA, 5.48 RA9, and a 13-6 record. Hurd faced 638 batters, striking out 188 and only allowing 128 hits.
The prospect pitcher has a strong baseline coming out of college. His metrics are strong, living in the upper 90s on his fastball. It has maxed at 99 mph but generally stays around 94-95. His fastball is graded a 60 on the grade scale.
He follows up his heater with a darting-hard slider. The slider moves hard on both sides, sitting in the late 80s to early 90s.
He also works a curveball that isn’t very hard, but has a lot of depth, sitting in the late 70s to early 80s. Hurd’s control is decent and has room to work on. More leading strikes would be a huge improvement for the right-hander.
Hurd has shown very workable stuff on the mound with strong potential to advance quickly. This setback will unfortunately halt the development and repetition Hurd was scheduled for.
Photo Credit: © Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
