Phillies pitching prospect Kevin Gowdy undergoes Tommy John surgery
By John Town
Phillies 2016 second-round pick Kevin Gowdy underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday and he likely won’t pitch again until 2019.
According to multiple Phillies insiders, pitching prospect Kevin Gowdy underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday. The operation was performed by Neal Elatrrache according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
The surgery likely means we won’t see Gowdy on the mound until 2019. Tommy John surgery normally keeps pitchers out for at least a year, if not longer. By that time, Gowdy will be 21 years old and three years removed from being drafted. Not exactly the best start for the young arm.
Gowdy did not pitch at all this season before the surgery. Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reported July 5 that Gowdy had not pitched due to biceps tendinitis. There has been radio silence about Gowdy since then, but something clearly went wrong with his elbow since then.
Last year, Gowdy pitched just nine innings in the Gulf Coast League after signing a $3.5 million contract. The Phillies went well over the pool to sign Gowdy, and that move has clearly not gone well so far.
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According to MLB.com, Gowdy is Philadelphia’s fourth-best pitching prospect and No. 12 prospect overall. He has enough of a well-rounded arsenal for some to see a future mid-rotation starter, but this injury history certainly doesn’t help anything. Gowdy will have a lot of work to do when he returns.
When Gowdy does return, he will likely have to return to short-season Williamsport or Low-A Lakewood.
As mentioned earlier, he will be 21 years old and well behind the development curve.
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The hope is when Gowdy returns is that he could perform like Drew Anderson. When Anderson returned from Tommy John last year, his fastball velocity was up and he did enough to warrant a spot on the 40-man roster. Gowdy won’t need to be protected until after the 2020 season, so he should have at least some time to show he has prospect potential.