Angels pitcher shares brutal injury news
Apr 15, 2020; Anaheim, California, USA; General overall view of the Los Angeles Angels logo at Angel Stadium of Anaheim amid the global coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY NETWORK
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Patrick Sandoval shared some brutal injury news on Monday.
Sandoval told reporters Monday that he has a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and high grade flexor tear. He will undergo surgery to help repair his torn ligaments. Whether Sandoval has an internal brace procedure or full Tommy John surgery remains to be seen, but this surgery news means he will be out for the rest of the season.
Patrick Sandoval says he has a torn UCL and will have surgery.
The exact nature of the surgery (ie, the internal brace or not) is TBD but the rehab will be at least a year.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) June 24, 2024
Sandoval was the Angels’ Opening Day starter this season, though he was having a very disappointing campaign. The 27-year-old southpaw was 2-8 with a 5.08 ERA in 16 starts this season. He had left his start on Friday due to an elbow issue, and an MRI showed the damage to his ligaments.
Sandoval was very solid from 2021-2023 though and went 16-28 with a 3.53 ERA and 373 strikeouts in 380.1 innings during that span.
In addition to his work with the Angels, Sandoval pitched for Mexico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and earned All-WBC honors. The southpaw is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season.
