A’s Announce A.J. Puk Underwent Successful Tommy John Surgery, Will Miss Whole Season
Apr 12, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:26 am
(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
by Matt George – Sports 1140 KHTK Reporter
Top pitching prospect A.J. Puk was having a fantastic spring with the Oakland A’s in Mesa, Arizona before starting to feel some biceps discomfort on his left (throwing) arm in his final appearance on March 16.
This week, the A’s announced that Puk, 22, underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Tuesday in Los Angeles. He is expected to miss 12-18 months, slotting him for a mid-season return in 2019.
Before the injury, Puk appeared in 4 games for Oakland during Spring Training. In 10.2 innings of work, he finished with a 3.38 ERA, seven strike outs, seven hits allowed, and an opponent batting average of .184.
Although not expected to start the season as part of the A’s rotation, Puk was rumored to be a mid-season call up after a few appearances in the minor leagues.