Tampa Bay Rays Jonny Venters Tears UCL Again

Jonny Venters‘ latest comeback attempt has once again been aborted, as the Tampa Bay Rays reliever has torn his UCL again while rehabbing from his third Tommy John surgery.

There was a time when Jonny Venters was one of the best relievers in baseball. A dominant lefty setup man for the Atlanta Braves, Venters posted a 1.89 ERA and a 1.146 WHiP, striking out 189 batters in 171 innings, covering 164 games, in his first two seasons. He led the National League with 85 appearances in 2011, making the All-Star Game. While he was not nearly at that level the following year, Venters had established himself as star in the bullpen.

However, that 2012 season was the last time he would pitch in the Majors. He felt discomfort in his elbow during Spring Training in 2013, and had Tommy John surgery in May. This was his second surgery, as he had one eight years before. Venters took some time to get healthy, finally throwing again in July of 2014, but struggled with his velocity, barely touching 80 MPH. He was shut down again, and underwent his third Tommy John surgery a month later.

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Venters had signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as a reclamation project after being released by the Braves following the 2014 season. He did not pitch at all last year, as he recovered from his third surgery, finally taking the mound again this year. He appeared in five games with the Charlotte Stone Crabs, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three in four innings as he worked his way back. Considering that he had not thrown a pitch in live action since the end of 2012, those struggles could be expected.

However, his latest comeback attempt is over, and Venters’ future is in doubt. Venters has torn his UCL yet again, leaving his future in doubt. He could look to get a fourth Tommy John surgery, but even then, he may no longer be able to attempt to pitch, leaving retirement as the only option.

It is easy to understand that Venters may want to continue to work his way back. If he did manage to get back on a major league mound, it would be a great story in perseverance and never giving up on one’s dreams. Yet, with his UCL tearing for the third time in four years, it may just be that his body cannot handle the stress of pitching any longer.

Maybe Venters can come back from another procedure on his elbow. Perhaps a tweak in his mechanics afterwards will allow him to pitch and keep his elbow healthy, letting him once again reach the Majors. However, given how rare it is for a pitcher to come back from a third Tommy John surgery, Venters returning to the mound and being productive at the major league level would be almost miraculous.

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Jonny Venters’ latest comeback has fallen victim to his elbow issues yet again. At this point, his future in baseball is very much in jeopardy.