Martin Perez, the 22 year old left handed pitcher for the Texas Rangers, will undergo Tommy John surgery according to ESPN Dallas. This was not an easy decision for Perez, as he told the media.
“The ligament is not 100 percent and I think it’s best for me to get this done now,” Perez said. “It was not an easy decision, but I want to get the surgery and start on my rehab.”
Perez will be out for the remainder of the 2014 season and most of the 2015 season, leaving the Rangers with yet another starting pitcher on the shelf. The Rangers are now without Tanner Scheppers, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland, Joe Saunders and now Martin Perez. By my count, that is five starting pitchers, which is the number of starters that are usually in a rotation. I think that Perez is making the correct decision, but I am saddened that he has to have the surgery.
It seems like there has been a rash of TJ surgeries this season, and I am beginning to wonder if pitch counts are really a good thing, since it seems that more and more pitchers are getting hurt as the years go on. I am all for protecting a teams investment, but it doesn’t seem to be working.
The Texas Rangers will press on, but it has been a rough season and I believe that it will continue to be a rough season.
