Brady Aiken, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, recently underwent Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, according to an article he posted on The Players' Tribune.
MLB Draft prospect Brady Aiken undergoes Tommy John surgery
About the worst possible thing that could have happened to Aiken just took place.
Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Aiken, who reportedly turned down three different offers from the Houston Astros last year, said "something felt a little wrong" after throwing a pitch in his first game for IMG Academy, a multi-sport academy and private school in Bradenton, Fla. The 18-year-old left-hander was recently ranked No. 4 overall by Minor League Ball among prospects entering the 2015 draft.
The Astros initially offered Aiken $6.5 million, almost $1.5 million under slot, after selecting him with the top pick last June. Concerns over his UCL, which is reportedly smaller than usual, prompted the club to lower its offer to $5 million. The club eventually settled on an offer of just $3.1 million, or the minimum required 40 percent of the slotted amount, Aiken’s advisor Casey Close told Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal in July.
Aiken could be fully recovered by the time the 2016 draft rolls around, and it’s still possible that a team could take him with a relatively high pick this June. Though it’s hard to imagine he’d go quite as high as he’s projected, Aiken could be in a similar position as Lucas Giolito, whom the Washington Nationals took in the middle of the first round in 2012 despite damage to the UCL in his throwing arm.
See More:
