White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon will have Tommy John surgery later this week and is out for the season, the team announced Monday.
Rodon, 26, hasn't pitched since May 1. He was placed on the 10-day IL with elbow inflammation the next day. He is 3-2 with a 5.19 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in seven starts this season.
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said it's "reasonable" to expect Rodon to be ready to return in the second half of 2020.
“Given that he has yet to undergo the surgery, it’s still too early to give you a precise timeline in terms of his potential return,” Hahn said (via the Chicago Tribune). “However, given the timing of the surgery it is reasonable to expect Carlos to be able to rejoin us during the second half of the 2020 season.”
“I think he is at peace with it in terms of the road ahead of him. He knows it’s not going to be, necessarily, an easy rehab, but at the same time, it’s one that has a very, very high likelihood of success and one that should put him in a position to continue on and have a very, very promising career once he returns.”
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, Rodon was once one of the top prospects in baseball, ranking No. 19 overall on MLB Pipeline in 2014. He has a 29-31 record with a 4.08 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in five seasons.