Los Angeles Angels closer Keynan Middleton is the team’s latest player to have a UCL injury.
Middleton was activated from the disabled list on May 10 after dealing with elbow inflammation. He made three appearances but left Sunday’s game against Minnesota with continued elbow problems.
An MRI on Monday revealed damage to Middleton’s UCL, which led him to be placed on the DL. He will go for a second opinion, but Tommy John surgery seems to be in the cards, according to the OC Register’s Jeff Fletcher.
Middleton’s injury raises further concerns about what’s going on with the Angels and their pitchers. Since 2014, Tyler Skaggs, Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Nick Tropeano, JC Ramirez and now Middleton have had serious UCL injuries. The Angels have often attempted to have players undergo stem cell treatment before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Middleton had been pitching well for the Angels prior to his injury. He had six saves and a 2.04 ERA in 16 games. Cam Bedrosian, Blake Parker and Jim Johnson will have to pick up the slack while Middleton is out.
