Flamethrowing White Sox Phenom Michael Kopech Needs Tommy John Surgery

After making four starts this year, White Sox rookie Michael Kopech will most likely not return to the mound until 2020. The team announced this afternoon that Kopech has a torn ulnar collateral ligament, and while he will reportedly seek a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews and consider his recovery options, it seems that he will soon undergo Tommy John surgery.

Kopech is the 13th-ranked prospect in baseball, and he made an impressive major league debut last month. “It has been a whirlwind of emotions for me. This is rock bottom. To say it was unexpected is an understatement,” he told the . He joins a worryingly long list of top prospects who have suffered elbow injuries in the past two years.

Kopech’s best skill as a player is throwing the ball really goddamn fast. He can consistently reach triple digits, though his velocity has dipped a bit through his first few starts with the White Sox, probably because he’s pitched so much in the minors this year. Hopefully he’ll come back even stronger and ready to throw 110 MPH in a real actual game.