The injury bug has been vicious this season, particularly against the Boston Red Sox. Not even their minor league system can escape the injuries.
Top Red Sox pitching prospect, Luis Perales, is headed for Tommy John surgery. The young righty will miss the rest of the 2024 season and he'll be rehabbing for much of 2025. The Sea Dogs were optimistic that his elbow injury wasn't serious, but his MRI revealed the dreaded ulnar collateral ligament damage.
The 21-year-old is the No. 9 prospect in Boston's system and he made a huge jump to No. 57 in Baseball America's top 100 this year. He's held a Red Sox 40-man roster spot all year after an impressive spring training because the organization does not intend to lose him to the Rule 5 draft.
Perales has pitched to a 2.94 ERA in 33.2 innings across nine starts between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland. He's fanned 56 batters and allowed just 12 walks. Perales was projected to reach MLB readiness by 2026, but Tommy John surgery recovery may put a significant damper on his progress.
Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales will undergo Tommy John surgery
Red Sox RHP prospect Luis Perales will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, per @ChrisCotillo.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) June 18, 2024
Perales was one of the breakout pitching prospects of 2024. He surged to No. 57 in our last Top 100 update.
Here's footage from his last outing with Double-A Portland ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/FrVBzo1Bzo
The Venezuela native was promoted to Double-A in late May. His two starts there were short but excellent. He logged a 1.23 ERA in Portland before he was pulled after 2.1 innings on June 8 due to elbow discomfort.
As devastating as it can be, it seems like most pitchers will undergo Tommy John surgery at some point in their careers. While the procedure will stall Perales' development, he still has a promising career ahead of him.