White Sox: Nate Jones Done for Season After Undergoing Surgery
By Matt Manetti
The White Sox will be without Nate Jones. The right hander underwent nerve repositioning surgery in his right elbow and will miss the remainder of 2017.
The Chicago White Sox learned Nate Jones will miss the remainder of the season. The 31-year-old underwent nerve repositioning surgery in his right elbow. He hasn’t pitched since April. Scott Merkin was the first to report this.
Jones was a key cog in the bullpen last season. In 71 appearances, he had a 2.29 ERA and opponents batted just .190 against him. Merkin tweets that the ligament was strong and intact. That is definitely a positive but Jones will be missed.
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Jones underwent a Tommy John procedure in 2014. This represents another significant arm injury. One has to wonder if he can come back from this and still be an effective pitcher. There’s no doubt he’s been a phenomenal pitcher when healthy. But he’s only made 103 appearances since 2014. To put that into perspective, he made 135 appearances combined in 2012 and 2013.
He hasn’t exactly been the healthiest pitcher in his career. That could make him a major question mark for the White Sox moving forward. They are already in rebuild mode. And it’s no secret the system is stocked with young arms. There just may not be room for someone like Jones. Especially since he has a history of arm issues.
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It’s a tough break for Jones. He’s been one of the most consistent relievers for the White Sox when healthy. Hopefully he can return next year and be close to the guy he was in 2016.