White Sox: Jake Petricka Has Right Elbow Surgery
White Sox veteran reliever has surgery on the right elbow, should resume throwing in three to four months.
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Jake Petricka had surgery on his right elbow on Friday according to Scott Merkin of whitesox.com. The surgery was completed by Dr. James Andrews and Petricka should be able to resume throwing in three to four months.
For Petricka, this is his second consecutive year of having a season-ending surgery for the Sox. In 2016, Petricka ended his season with a right hip impingement. He had surgery to repair a labral tear in his hip.
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This season, however, Petricka had to be shut down for the year with a right elbow strain and was placed on the disabled list on June 29. Petricka was placed on the disabled list earlier this season with a strained lat muscle on April 5. The 29-year-old pitcher made just 27 appearances in 2017 and compiled a 1-1 record with a 7.01 ERA.
In 2016, Petricka made only nine appearances and pitched just eight total innings for the Sox. He hasn’t made more than 27 appearances since 2015 when he appeared in 62 games. With the Sox entering its second rebuilding season in 2018, Petricka could find himself not on the team next year.
Petricka will be eligible for arbitration again this offseason, and the Sox could elect to non-tender the veteran relief pitcher. The 2006 38th round draft pick of the Sox was once a valuable reliever for the team. In 2014, Petricka recorded 14 saves and finished that season with a 2.96 ERA in 67 appearances.
Next: Potential White Sox Free Agent Options for Upcoming Offseason
The Sox could elect to non-tender Petricka due to his recent inability to remain healthy. If the Sox don’t tender Petricka a contract for 2018, they will have to find a better option in the bullpen either through free agency or internally. Unfortunately for Petricka, he could find himself looking for a new team once he’s ready to pitch again.