Reds starting pitcher Brandon Williamson announced on Wednesday that he has a complete UCL tear and will need Tommy John surgery.
The left-hander left Tuesday night’s game against Atlanta in the second inning due to an elbow strain, briefly doubling over near the mound before being replaced by Fernando Cruz.
“It kind of came out of nowhere,” Williamson said, mentioning that he underwent two MRIs to confirm the injury.
Williamson, who was drafted in the second round in 2019, had previously faced a shoulder injury during spring training. At 26 years old, he made his first major league start of the season on September 1, completing a total of four starts this year.
“I think my mechanics may have changed a bit. After a long first inning, I felt the need to push harder to warm up in the second.
I didn’t have any warning signs—I felt fine. I threw a changeup on the third pitch to Michael Harris II and noticed a slight tweak. As a pitcher, you feel a lot of things, so I didn’t think much of it. But on the next pitch, I really felt it.”
Before the injury, Williamson had given up three runs over 13 innings in three games. He allowed three runs in the first inning on Tuesday, ending the season without any wins and a 3.77 ERA.
“He’s still young and athletic,” said Reds manager David Bell. “He obviously won’t be on the mound for opening day. I don’t have details on the timeline yet, but I hope we can set a realistic goal for him to return with time left in next season.”
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