Tommy John surgery for Jones

[brewmann04]

Former top draft pick faces another setback

 

LINK: www.jsonline.com/story/in...?id=613908

 

By TOM HAUDRICOURT

thaudricourt@journalsentinel.com

Posted: June 2, 2007

As the Brewers continue preparations for the draft, which begins Thursday, they are bracing for yet more bad news on right-hander Mike Jones, their first-round pick in 2001.

 

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Buy a link hereAssistant general manager Gord Ash confirmed Saturday that Jones likely is headed for "Tommy John" reconstructive surgery after injuring his elbow at Class AA Huntsville. Jones, 24, already had missed most of the 2004 season, all of 2005 and part of 2006 because of shoulder problems that resulted in two major surgeries.

 

Ash said Jones is scheduled to come to Milwaukee this week to confer with team physician William Raasch. The Brewers expect Raasch to confirm the original diagnosis of a torn ulnar collateral ligament in Jones' elbow.

 

"We're not optimistic, but Dr. Raasch wants to look at it first," said Ash, who oversees the organization's medical program.

 

"More than anything, Raasch wants to see him because there is an unusual tear in the ligament. The tears usually go horizontally through the ligament. This one is going vertically, basically splitting the ligament down the middle."

 

The Brewers sent Jones to Huntsville this spring with hopes of getting his career back on track. In six starts, he went 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA but came out of his last outing three weeks ago complaining of elbow pain.

 

"It appears to be a one-pitch traumatic injury," Ash said. "The sad thing about it is our scouts who saw him said he was making progress. They were getting encouraged. He had battled back from the shoulder surgeries."

 

A few years back, the Brewers expected both Jones and left-hander Manny Parra to be in their rotation by now. Parra also was set back by shoulder surgery in 2005 but has looked better this year at Huntsville, going 5-3 with a 3.07 ERA through 10 starts, with 60 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings.

 

 

Cooling his heels

 

 

EDIT: Anytime an article is posted, be sure to include a link to that article.

 

I also edited the title to make it both more descriptive and remove the caps.

[DHonks]

man, I come home a bit tipsy, and this is the news you have for me Gene? Hopefully the Crew offers him a minor league deal after the year, but yuck.

[brettac1]

Ugh.

 

That is really a shame. I was seriously expecting him to be a September addition to the bullpen. This is probably it for him, now, and definitely as far as being a Brewer.

[Team Canada]

Good grief. His arm's going to be held together with twine and duct tape soon.

[DHonks]

one encouraging aspect is that Grant Balfour went through similar problems, was shifted to the pen, and looks like a potentially dominant reliever

[foamboy1]

Too bad for Mike....I'm sure this is really hard on him....incredibly frustrating. I was just thinking about creating a post to see if anyone had information on him.

 

Given the last few years, the odds kept getting longer that he'd ever pitch for Milwaukee.....now they are quite remote. I hope he finds a way to stay that course and make it to the show. He's 24 now. If he has surgery this year, he might be ready to make a run for someone during the 2009 season when he is 26.

[igor67]

I seem to recall the Dhonks that Balfour had a lot more minor league success than Jones whose career has almost been a dead ringer for JM Gold. I hope he was wise with his bonus money.

[DHonks]

Although Igor67, Jones was doing quite well for himself in Beloit and Huntsville before the first arm injury. The only complaint we had was the lack of strikeouts.Granted 2 years of success isn't much, but he was on the radar..

[TuesdayWithRillo]

So do we leave him unprotected for the rule 5 draft now?

[GAME05]

that's really too bad. sounds like a career-ender. now i just hope all the surgeries don't start to permanently affect him when he's 40 or 50, that he'll always have full range of motion.

[jackalope02ca]

Hopefully the surgery goes well. I can't say I'm terribly surprised with the news. I hope he has invested wisely as injuries, and a lack of playing as a result are taking their tole. Age is also going to start to be a factor once he's recovered. He faces very long odds now at ever making the majors.

 

Unfortunately this is the way it goes sometimes.

[Never Outhustled]

I thought the team should have never added him to the 40 man roster. I can't believe they continue to throw away money on him. TJ surgury and rehab costs the organiation big bucks.

 

At this point, they should DFA him like Toronto did with Vince Perkins and Jesse Harper.

[TheCrew07]

This doesn't surprise me at all. Too bad for the young man. Shoulder and elbow problems... you have to wonder if one lead to the other.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Update:

 

www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1204

[SoCalBrewfan]

It's too bad, because Jones always impressed me as a really good kid, one with maturity well beyond his years. And despite what igor said, when he pitched he usually pitched well.

 

I wish him well.

[DHonks]

Jones always threw very well in the minors. He was on track to be in the big league rotation by around age 21 or 22, and then the injuries. What impressed many of us was his desire to go right after hitters, content with getting 1 or 2 pitch outs. He showed good control and good stuff, just never really had a strikeout pitch. I hope the organization doesn't give up on him, as he has a high ceiling and always seems a hard worker. Plus, we now have Grant Balfour throwing very well in AAA despite shoulder and elbow surgeries. It's time Mike becomes a reliever, and one that only pitches twice a week. When he's 26, let him test it out more. But I say keep him next year, and baby him to the extreme. Best of luck to Mike

[JoeHova]

But will he still be on the 40 man in the offseason? I kind of doubt it. I hope they offer him a 2 year minor league deal after this year and then convert him to relief, but he is a long-shot at this point.

[DHonks]

I'm not sure if there are such things as 2-year minor league deals.

[brettac1]

Obiovusly, I'd love to see them keep him around in some capacity. I think it might be up to him - how much more of this stuff can he put up with? It has to hit that point where it's just not worth it for him anymore. Sure, he's a professional baseball player, but it's not like he's making that much money.

[DHonks]

Sure, he's a professional baseball player, but it's not like he's making that much money.

 

I think 3rd year 40-man roster guys start at $60k.

[JoeHova]

Quote:

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I'm not sure if there are such things as 2-year minor league deals.

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oh, I thought I heard that there were.