MLB Weekly Digest March 15th Edition: Yankees' Britton Set for Surgery

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The last week in MLB was about a reliever in the American League who will be out several weeks. A pitching prospect will undergo surgery, and an outfielder decides to retire after 15 seasons.

New York Yankees Reliever Zack Britton Will Undergo Surgery to Remove Bone Chip

The New York Yankees will be without reliever Zack Britton when the regular season begins.

Britton will undergo surgery to remove a bone chip from his left elbow, per a team announcement.

LHP Zack Britton is expected to return to New York tomorrow and will undergo orthoscopic surgery to remove a bone chip from his left elbow in the upcoming days. The surgery is expected to be performed by Dr. Christopher Ahmad at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 9, 2021

He will be shut down for about six weeks and the typical recovery from this type of operation is three-to-four months, per Andy Martino of SNY.

Told that Zack Britton will be shut down for about six weeks, then will have to build up. Roughly 3-4 months absence total is the expectation.

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) March 9, 2021

Britton underwent an MRI last week after experiencing elbow soreness following a bullpen session.

The loss of Britton is monumental for the Yankees.

He had been a critical part of their bullpen since the Yankees him from the Baltimore Orioles in 2018.

Britton has compiled a 2.14 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 14 saves within that period.

The Yankees will need someone from their bullpen to be a setup man for reliever Aroldis Chapman with Britton being injured.

The team is hopeful that Britton will have a successful operation and there will be no setbacks.

Houston Astros Pitching Prospect Forrest Whitley to Undergo Tommy John Surgery

The Houston Astros top pitching prospect Forrest Whitley will not be pitching during the 2021 season for the team as he will undergo Tommy John surgery, per Mark Berman of Fox 26.

MLB source: It has been recommended to RHP Forrest Whitley that he have Tommy John surgery. Forrest will get a second opinion.

— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) March 7, 2021

Whitley was diagnosed with a sprained UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in his right elbow.

He experienced discomfort during a live bullpen session last week and was seeking a second opinion, per Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet.

Astros say Forrest Whitley has been diagnosed with a sprained UCL in his right elbow. He experienced discomfort during a live BP session last week and is currently seeking another opinion before finalizing plans for treatment.

— Julia Morales (@JuliaMorales) March 7, 2021

He has yet to pitch in the majors but posted a 7.99 ERA across four minor league levels in 2019.

The ERA is exceptionally high, but Whitley has the stuff to anchor a rotation in the future.

Whitley’s injury is crushing as he has been one of the best pitching prospects in the minors for the Astros the past several years.

He has dealt with injuries in his career and has not reached his potential yet.

Hopefully, Whitley has a successful surgery and will not have any problems while going through the rehabilitation process.

The vital aspect moving forward is for Whitley to be healthy.

The Astros have yet to see what the young pitcher can accomplish on the mound when he is not dealing with any injuries for a sustained period.

Nick Markakis Retires After 15 MLB Seasons

Former Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis has decided to retire from playing baseball after 15 seasons, as he told Dan Connolly and David O’Brien of The Athletic.

Markakis decided to retire after the Braves were eliminated from the 2020 postseason.

The outfielder mentioned he plans to be a stay-at-home dad for his three sons.

This is admirable and cool. Markakis chose to spend time with his family.

He was known for being consistent during his 15-year career by playing at least 147 games in 12 years.

He finishes eighth all-time in games played by a right fielder, won three Gold Gloves, and finishes his career with a .288 batting average.

Markakis was an outstanding MLB hitter who knew how to make contact, as there were just four seasons in which he struck out more than 100 times.

He will be missed on the baseball diamond, but it is great he gets a chance to spend time with his family.

About Post Author

Chris Lacey

Chris is a New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.

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