Reds starting pitcher Brandon Williamson announced on Wednesday that he has a complete UCL tear, which will require Tommy John surgery.
The left-handed pitcher had to leave Tuesday night’s game against Atlanta in the second inning due to an elbow strain. He briefly doubled over near the mound and was replaced by Fernando Cruz.
“It kind of came out of nowhere,” Williamson said, noting that he had two MRIs to confirm the tear.
Williamson, who was drafted in the second round in 2019, had previously injured his shoulder during spring training. At 26 years old, he made his first major league start of the season on September 1, which was one of four starts he made this year.
“It was just baseball in the first inning,” Williamson said. “I felt a bit off, but not physically.
I think my mechanics might have been a little altered. After a long first inning in the second inning, I felt like I needed to push a bit harder to warm up.
There were no warning signs for me. I felt fine. I threw a changeup on the third pitch (to Michael Harris II) and felt a little tweak. As a pitcher, you feel things all the time, so I didn’t think much of it. Then on the next pitch, I really felt it.”
Before the injury, Williamson had given up three runs over 13 innings in three games. He allowed three runs in the first inning on Tuesday and ended the season with no wins and a 3.77 ERA.
“He is still young and athletic,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He obviously won’t be on the mound for opening day. I don’t have any details on the timeline yet, but I hope we can set a realistic goal to have him back with time left in the season next year.”
