While the big league club has been sputtering as of recent, following a sweep at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals that has many people wondering if coaching changes should be made, the Washington Nationals recently received some bad news regarding one of their top prospects.
Jarlin Susana, the #66 prospect in baseball and the #2 overall in the organization, was recently diagnosed with a Grade 1 UCL sprain, and will be shut down for two weeks in order to give him time to rest. The hope is that he is able to avoid Tommy John Surgery, but at some point, you have to wonder if going under the knife is inevitable for the 21-year-old righty.
For now, this appears to be a best-case scenario for Susana, but the team even said that they don't really know what the best course of action will be until he can return to the mound after his shutdown. Hopefully, he is able to avoid Tommy John completely, and will be fine after he is back in action.
Unfortunately, for a guy like him who has such a lively and electric fastball that averages over 100 MPH, it appears as if this operation was always going to be in his future, but having to get the operation now would severely hinder his development.
Since he is at the AA level now, having to get the surgery would knock him out for the remainder of this season and likely most of next season as well, and would likely not put him on track to continue his development until the 2027 season. The timing of this injury would be devastating, and it's completely understandable for Susana and the team to explore all possible alternatives before turning to Tommy John. Guys like MacKenzie Gore have undergone the operation while in the minors, and were able to bounce back to make the big leagues after recovering.
So far this season with the Harrisburg Senators, Susana has made 6 starts with a 4.15 ERA and 1.69 WHIP, and has struggled with control. His 38 strikeouts in just 26.0 innings shows just how devastating his stuff can be, but his 20 walks issued so far also shows how much he has struggled with control so far.
Many have speculated that his long-term future could be in the bullpen as the closer of the future, and if he has to get Tommy John Surgery then a move to the bullpen could be inevitable. Obviously we will keep tabs on how well Susana responds to the time off, and if surgery is the only option, we will certainly get a story up about it.
What do you think of this latest injury update on Jarlin Susana? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.