Tigers right-hander Alex Faedo will undergo UCL surgery later this month, as per a statement released by the team. As per the usual timeline for Tommy John procedures, Faedo will miss the entire 2021 season but should be ready by Opening Day 2022.
Faedo has a 3.96 ERA, 4.07 K/BB rate, and 9.3 K/9 over 236 1/3 innings in Detroit’s farm system, moving from high-A ball to Double-A in 2018 and then spending all of 2019 with Double-A Erie. Any thought that Faedo could skip Triple-A and make his Major League debut in 2020 was first hampered when a positive COVID-19 diagnosis kept him out of Summer Camp, and then Faedo was shut down due to a forearm strain in August.
The 18th overall pick of the 2017 draft, Faedo drew some top-60 prospect attention in analyst rankings but his first pro season somewhat lowered his stock. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report explains that Faedo had a drop in fastball velocity and his slider (arguably his best pitch) lost effectiveness, though both pitches looked better during the 2019 season.
Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America ranked Faedo as the tenth-best prospect in a pitching-heavy Tigers farm system. The development of such young arms as Matt Manning, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Joey Wentz, and Faedo has been a key element of Detroit’s rebuilding process, and Mize and Skubal both made their MLB debuts this past season. Given Faedo’s diagnosis, there is bound to be renewed concern over Manning, who was also shut down with a forearm strain over the summer. At last word back in October, however, Manning had recovered.
Faedo has a bit of an awkward delivery, which might put added stress on the elbow. He was shut down during alternative training camp due to the ominous “forearm strain” so this isn’t a total surprise. Later he said he felt great, but so does almost everyone before undergoing TJ surgery. He’s still young, and hopefully he comes back strong.
I can see some Scherzer in his delivery…. wishful thinking? Probably, but I stand by it, haha!
Nah. Faedo’s delivery isn’t nearly as violent as Scherzer’s.
What kind of a prospect was he? He will be 26 next year and hasn’t put up that great of numbers in the minors.
Doesn’t matter. Any prospect hit for Detroit is significant given the current state of affairs.
He just turned 25 in Nov. So by missing next season, he’ll be 26 when he attempts his comeback. If he comes back successfully, he could be 4th or 5th starter or a swingman.
I think his best chance for a big league impact will be in the bullpen. this injury may solidify that. A 2 pitch guy, granted 2 very good pitches, and a funky delivery, combine with him being a bit older, could turn into a good high leverage guy.
You are correct that he could be a late inning reliever. He is cool as a cucumber. That and two very good pitches are an excellent recipe for an 8th-9th inning guy.
Do you see any Scherzer in his delivery, or am I crazy?
I’m sure there’s a better prospect ranking, but MLBPipeline has him as DET’s 10th-ranked prospect, fwiw.
#7 prospect per Fangraphs.. Joins number 8 prospect Joey Wentz on the TJ list.
Unfortunate. He may be ready for opening day in 2022 but most TJ pitchers usually are not much of a factor their first season back.
He likely will be ticketed for the minors in 2022. All goes well he can help the team in 2023.
Sucks to see a young man on the cusp of realizing his lifetime goal go down like this.
Best of luck to him on his long road back.
thats rough. i felt he had the highest ceiling of the bunch.
Still might. Just delayed.
That’s too bad. You never want to see this happen to a pitcher, especially a prospect. I wish him a full recovery.
I wish they would teach these kids how to pitch, not just fire the ball as fast as they can every pitch and, with many, try to throw vicious 12-to-6 curveballs. TJ surgeries are out of control. I can remember when TJS were rare. Of course that was way back when it was pretty much a death sentence for a pitcher.
Sure you can pitch again and most likely be as good as before, but still, that’s a lot of time away from the game trying to recover. And for prospects like Faedo, he’s making MiLB pay. Luckily he got a nice check from the draft, that’s what has saved him so far in that respect.
Alex Faedo is essentially a younger Henry Sosa lite who allows more flyballs. Sosa is stuck in Taiwan right now (would be a better fit in the NPB IMO.)
Loss of velocity and effectiveness is not uncommon among young pitchers the year prior to TJS. He even had forearm issues dating back to 2019. The good news, if there is any here, is his pitches might regain top form post surgery, and learning to pitch without his top stuff in the minors ultimately might make him a better pitcher on his return with his arm in the best shape since he signed. The reason pitchers often return with increased velocity post TJS is not because the surgery made their arms stronger. It’s because for many their elbows were weakened the season(s) prior to the surgery.
He’s still going to spend 2022 in the minors building up his innings after nearly two seasons away and learning to pitch again with his reconstructed elbow. Wrap a bow around him. Might be a nice present for the 2023 season. He’s a pitcher, so being in his latter 20s won’t matter as it would for a position player. They still might get a decent five years from him as either a starter or reliever if all goes well with surgery and recovery.
Faedo’s upcoming TJ surgery somewhat clarifies the pitching picture. Barring injuries during ST, I see Mize, Manning, Skubal, Boyd and Turnbull in the Tigers’ rotation for 2021.. With the Tigers looking for another FA veteran pitcher, Fulmer and one of the foregoing could be the odd men out. I think Fulmer is out of options. so the Tigers would have to move him to the BP if my guesses are on the mark.
I think you will see a 6 man rotation with probably 2 free agent signings. No one on that staff has ever pitched many innings.
Free agent
Free agent
Turnbull
Boyd
Fulmer
Norris
2 possible free agents… Paxton and Porcello
Let Mize, Manning and Skubal start at AAA and come up when injuries or trades arrive.
They still have Soto and Alexander who can start if needed.
I would love to see Ricky back! My second Vet SP choices would be Kluber or Wainwright. Foster Griffin really intrigues me as a long term buy low candidate. I think Boyd has the potential to be a fantastic bull pen arm.. he’s always looked more like a reliever to me though. And I love Norris in that 3 inning starting pitching role.
* in Chris Fetter I trust *
Manning will be next Tiger hurler to get TJS.
Don’t put that evil on us!
This is his second TJ had one before he turned pro.
Not true. He didn’t pitch for Detroit in 2017 after the draft because he’d already thrown so many innings at Florida as their ace. He’s been durable and didn’t have ulnar surgery in high school or college.