Minnesota Twins pitcher Chris Paddack will miss the remainder of the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Wednesday.
Paddack was acquired with Emilio Pagan from the San Diego Padres on Apr. 7 in exchange for Taylor Rogers and Brent Rooker. In five starts, the right-hander went 1-2 with a 4.03 ERA while collecting 20 strikeouts and two walks in 22.1 innings.
After leaving his last start on May 8 with elbow inflammation, Paddack sought a second opinion on his injury. Ultimately, Paddack decided to go under the knife to fix the issue.
The surgery is the latest in a list of elbow issues for the 26-year-old. Paddack had Tommy John surgery as a prospect in the Padres system in 2016 and landed on the injured list last September with a separate case of elbow inflammation.
While that injury ended his 2021 season, Paddack was ready for spring training before being traded to the Twins.
The trade has become a nightmare for Minnesota with Rogers posting a 0.56 ERA and an MLB-leading 14 saves in 16 innings for San Diego. Pagan has also struggled to replace Rogers in the Twins bullpen, posting a 1.54 ERA but also issuing 10 walks over 11.2 innings.
Paddack isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2025 season but his injury also throws another wrench into the Twins’ rotation.
Bailey Ober is set to return from a groin injury this weekend but Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer both failed to complete five innings in their latest starts in Oakland.
