Ever since Jeremiah Estrada left in his fifth inning of work with the Eugene Emeralds on June 28, fans who closely follow Cubs prospects feared the worst. The 20-year-old right-hander was pulled after pointing to his pitching elbow and on Monday he announced on social media that he had Tommy John surgery.
The Cubs picked Estrada in the sixth round of the 2017 draft out of high school. Unfortunately, since then the pitcher has been hit with bad luck with injuries.
After pitching in four games in rookie ball in 2017, Estrada missed the entire 2018 season because of a strained UCL. He was able to avoid Tommy John surgery them and returned to action on June 16, 2019.
And what a return it was for Estrada, who struck out the side on nine pitches, all strikes on fastballs. An immaculate inning.
He struck out seven in four innings in his 2019 debut, but struggled with his command in his second appearance of the season. Estrada walked four in 2.1 innings on June 22, allowing five earned runs.
Yet, you could still see the potential in Estrada, as he rebounded nicely in his next appearance. But it turned out to be his last in 2019, striking out four, walking one, allowing one run on two hits in 4.1 innings before his elbow couldn't go anymore.
The timing on the surgery likely means Estrada will miss the 2020 season. Here's to a speedy recovery for the young pitching prospect.
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