Pitching prospect Brady Aiken, the first overall pick in the 2014 draft who failed to reach an agreement with the Houston Astros, underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow.
Aiken left his start for IMG Academy last Thursday after throwing less than 15 pitches.
"In my first game for IMG Academy last week, I threw a pitch and something felt a little wrong," Aiken wrote for The Players' Tribune website. "When I visited the doctor's office and got the news I had torn my UCL, I can't even begin to express how I felt. ... [M]ostly it's disappointment."
In a controversial negotiation that resulted in the Astros failing to sign Aiken, Houston reduced its offer to the young left-hander from $6.5 million to $3.1 million after a physical revealed concerns in his ulnar collateral ligament. At the last minute, the Astros reportedly increased their offer to $5 million, but Aiken didn't sign.
"When I decided not to sign, I knew injuries were always a possibility," Aiken wrote. "Two other pitchers drafted after me in the first round last year were picked by their teams despite just having undergone Tommy John surgery. This is just a temporary setback."
Aiken is attending IMG rather than a four-year college so he can remain eligible for the 2015 draft, in which he has been considered a strong contender to be the first overall pick again.
Aiken left his start for IMG Academy last Thursday after throwing less than 15 pitches.
"In my first game for IMG Academy last week, I threw a pitch and something felt a little wrong," Aiken wrote for The Players' Tribune website. "When I visited the doctor's office and got the news I had torn my UCL, I can't even begin to express how I felt. ... [M]ostly it's disappointment."
In a controversial negotiation that resulted in the Astros failing to sign Aiken, Houston reduced its offer to the young left-hander from $6.5 million to $3.1 million after a physical revealed concerns in his ulnar collateral ligament. At the last minute, the Astros reportedly increased their offer to $5 million, but Aiken didn't sign.
"When I decided not to sign, I knew injuries were always a possibility," Aiken wrote. "Two other pitchers drafted after me in the first round last year were picked by their teams despite just having undergone Tommy John surgery. This is just a temporary setback."
Aiken is attending IMG rather than a four-year college so he can remain eligible for the 2015 draft, in which he has been considered a strong contender to be the first overall pick again.
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