Second Tommy John surgery recommended for Waldichuk
Cole Henry joins Ken Waldichuk on the 15-day IL, with Jackson Rutledge, Orlando Ribalta and Mitchell Parker all joining the club in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH – A preliminary MRI on Ken Waldichuk’s elbow revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament and a recommendation for Tommy John surgery, though the Nationals left-hander will seek a second opinion in hopes of avoiding a full reconstruction for the second time in less than two years.
“The initial read for us is not good,” manager Blake Butera said this afternoon. “Really unfortunate for Waldy. I just empathize with Waldy and what he’s gone through to get back to this point. He looked so good, so this one hurts.”
Waldichuk was entering his second inning of relief Sunday in Milwaukee when he spiked a pitch to the Brewers’ Brice Turang and immediately paced around the mound in pain. When head athletic trainer Dale Gilbert came out to check on him, the left-hander pointed to the inside of his elbow and after a brief conversation departed the game.
The Nationals placed Waldichuk on the 15-day IL today with left forearm tightness, but they then received MRI results later in the day that showed the UCL tear. If he indeed elects for ligament replacement surgery, it will be a repeat of the Tommy John procedure he had in May 2024 while pitching for the Athletics.
“It’s still pretty fresh. It sucks,” he said. “But I’ve done it once. I feel like I got my stuff back to pretty much where it was pre-surgery. It’s a long road, but hopefully I can do it again.”
The Nationals acquired Waldichuk off waivers shortly before the start of spring training. The 28-year-old made the Opening Day roster as a left-handed long man in the bullpen and proceeded to pitch in five games, allowing seven runs and eight hits (four of them homers) in 9 1/3 innings.
The club also placed Cole Henry on the 15-day IL this afternoon with a right rotator cuff strain, leaving them in need of two healthy relievers for their series against the Pirates. Henry, who replaced Waldichuk in the bottom of the seventh Sunday, proceeded to complete a walk of Turang before also walking William Contreras and then serving up a game-tying, three-run homer to Gary Sanchez.
Afterward, he reported shoulder soreness, so the Nats had him undergo an MRI as well, the results of which were far more encouraging than what Waldichuk experienced.
“Nothing too serious, we don’t think,” Butera said of Henry, who had a 6.43 ERA and 1.714 WHIP in seven appearances. “But it’s still serious enough to go on the IL and be down for at least 15 days.”
Needing to fill two bullpen slots, the Nationals recalled right-handers Jackson Rutledge and Orlando Ribalta from Triple-A Rochester, and both will be available to pitch tonight if needed. Rutledge had made six appearances for the Red Wings so far, most recently throwing one scoreless inning Saturday at Lehigh Valley. Ribalta posted a zero in five of his six Triple-A outings, including a scoreless inning Sunday.
Rutledge and Ribalta were joined here in Pittsburgh today by Mitchell Parker, who also made the trip from Lehigh Valley and was in uniform in the visitors’ clubhouse at PNC Park and on the field with the team during batting practice. Parker is officially considered on the taxi squad for now, but there’s a good chance he’ll be activated and pitch Tuesday either as an opener for or behind scheduled starter Miles Mikolas.
WOOD NAMED NL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
James Wood was honored today as the National League’s Player of the Week following a torrid stretch in which the outfielder batted .545 (12-for-22) with three doubles, three homers, eight RBI, six walks, two stolen bases and eight runs scored while also robbing a home run in the right-field corner at Nationals Park.
This was the first Player of the Week award for Wood, whose selection was unanimous.
MORE INJURY UPDATES
Trevor Williams threw a 15-pitch bullpen session in West Palm Beach on Friday, his first since being shut down during spring training with a recurrence of discomfort following last summer’s internal brace procedure on his right elbow.
DJ Herz, returning from Tommy John surgery last spring, continues to throw bullpen sessions in West Palm Beach but has not yet been cleared to face live hitters.
Josiah Gray, on the 60-day IL with a right flexor strain, is continuing forearm strengthening and stability work but has not begun throwing yet.
Tough break. Best of luck to him in his expected recovery. I hope the guys called up do a decent job up here.
JW IS A BEAST!! GO NATS!!
Forearm tightness was too good to be true. Best of luck to him