For the second spring in a row, the Tigers got bad news on a young arm.
Prospect Joey Wentz underwent Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, putting him on the shelf for the next 14-16 months. It was almost a year ago to the day that the Tigers announced Michael Fulmer would undergo the same operation.
Wentz suffered a forearm strain early in spring training.
The Tigers today announced that LHP Joey Wentz underwent successful left elbow UCL reconstruction surgery on Tuesday. The procedure was performed by Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, FL. (1/2)
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR)
March 18, 2020 Acquired in last season's Shane Greene trade, Wentz ranks No. 8 among Detroit's prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. The lefty made a strong impression over five starts with Double-A Erie in 2019, posting a 2.10 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.
Wentz, 22, had a chance to start this season in Triple-A, alongside fellow top prospects Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Tarik Skubal. Instead he'll begin a long rehab process, with the hope of getting back on the mound next summer.
