Mar 28, 2014; Birmingham, Al, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Nate Jones (65) throws to a Birmingham Barons batter at Regions Field. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
It was announced on Wednesday that injured Chicago White Sox reliever Nate Jones underwent Tommy John surgery.
Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago tweeted:
Nate Jones was ramping back up from back injury and injured UCL in the process. Surgery performed by James Andrews. #WhiteSox
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) July 30, 2014
This is a really bad setback for Jones who was “ramping up from back surgery.”
There were high hopes for the 28-year old Jones this season, but the back injury halted all those hopes two games into the season.
Jones in his two outings in ’14 had an inf. ERA, and didn’t record a single out. He allowed four earned runs off two hits and three walks.
The previous season Jones has a 4.15 ERA in 78.0 innings pitched (70 games) and in ’12 jones was 8-0 with a 2.39 ERA in 71.2 IP.
NBC Hardball Talk wrote:
"“Jones will miss the remainder of this season and likely most of next year as well. If healthy Jones probably would have been in line for a bunch of save chances in Chicago, but now he’s looking at essentially back-to-back lost seasons.”"
Again, I thought the White Sox finally had a setup man/closer in Jones coming back next season, but how well will he recover from not only a back injury that cost him this season, but now a Tommy John surgery that will cost him the ’15 season?
We wish Jones the best of luck and a full recovery.
Thoughts?