A’s pitcher Cotton to have Tommy John surgery, miss 2018 season
MESA, Ariz.—A's pitcher Jharel Cotton's promising spring has come to an abrupt end.
After meeting with Dr. Keith Meister Friday night, it was determined the UCL in Cotton's right elbow was torn and the starter would need to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair it. Cotton will undergo the surgery next week, causing him to miss the entire 2018 season.
The news comes as a huge blow for the A's. Struggling to find consistency from their starters this spring, Cotton, 26, had looked to be developing into somewhat of a reliable piece for manager Bob Melvin. He posted a 3.75 ERA with 16 strikeouts and just six walks through 12 innings of work as he looked to bounce back from a poor 2017 season.
Dr. Meister will perform the surgery, and Cotton will head back to Oakland for rehab.
"It's unfortunate," Melvin said. "Just for him having to go through what a lot of guys have to go through. We felt like he was on the cusp of coming into his own. It's just gonna be delayed a year."
The vacancy in the A's starting rotation opened up by Cotton's absence is likely to be filled by Andrew Triggs, who tossed three perfect innings against the Cubs his last outing and is slated to start against the Giants Saturday afternoon.
Melvin did not shoot down the possibility of adding one of the several free agent starters that remain available in free agency, with more expected become available as teams begin to make more cuts this spring. But it seems likely the A's will go with what they have to begin the regular season.
"I think we're comfortable with who we have here for now," Melvin said. "(The front office) will probably look around at this point.
We'll see.
"Depth is something we felt like we had. Now when you take away a guy like that, it's a little different. You could potentially find someone a little under what his value could be. But that's not my job description."
With pitchers Daniel Coulombe, Chris Bassitt, and Triggs all having gone through elbow surgery, Cotton has no shortage of resources in the clubhouse for guidance as he embarks on the journey of what will be a long rehab process.
Cotton said he's already been asking them about what they went through, giving him some form of comfort.
"It's tough. I'm missing the 2018 season with my boys, so it's kind of hard to take in," Cotton said. "I'm trying to take it as best as I can and get ready for the long road ahead to come back strong next season."