In a season where many things are going right for the Philadelphia Phillies, it has, unfortunately, been anything but for one of the members of the bullpen.
Luis Ortiz was looking to hold on to a spot in the Phillies bullpen this season, but his injury woes significantly derailed that plan. He appeared in just one game during the Opening Weekend series against the Atlanta Braves, spraining his ankle. He pitched in five games in the minors during rehab but was delayed due to right shoulder inflammation and was then shut down with forearm discomfort.
Phillies reliever gets worst possible news and heads for surgery
Everything that could have possibly gone wrong for Ortiz this year has. In the latest injury update for the 28-year-old reliever, things have gone from bad to worse. He'll now require season-ending Tommy John surgery, which will take place on July 11. With the surgery, he'll miss the rest of the 2024 season and potentially the bulk of the 2025 season as well.
As a former first-round selection of the Texas Rangers in 2014, Ortiz has struggled to maintain a full-time gig at the major league level despite now being in his 10th season of professional baseball. After stints with the Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants, Ortiz was claimed off waivers by the Phillies during the 2022-23 offseason.
He put together a solid 2023, splitting time between the big league team and the Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs. With the Phillies, Ortiz appeared in 14 games and posted a 3.32 ERA and 1.47 WHIP with 16 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched. With the IronPigs, he compiled a 4-1 record with a 4.60 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, with 45 strikeouts in 45 innings of work over 33 relief appearances and one start.
This latest setback for the once-promising first-rounder is certainly a hard pill to swallow for both Ortiz and the Phillies. Hopefully Ortiz has a successful recovery and will be back to playing baseball once again at the major league level and finally fulfill his promise and potential.