Seranthony Dominguez recommended for Tommy John surgery

After a promising start to his career, Philadelphia Phillies reliever Seranthony Dominguez continues to get bad news.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber, a doctor has recommended that Dominguez get Tommy John surgery. Lauber notes that Dominguez has not yet decided whether he will undergo the procedure or if he will wait and get further tests to gauge any improvement.

Tommy John surgery would be a massive setback for Dominguez. Players who get the surgery typically return after 12 months, and sometimes struggle to be as effective as they were pre-operation.

Dominguez first suffered the injury in an outing against the San Diego Padres early last June. It was initially expected that he would require Tommy John surgery, but he was able to avoid it and despite never returning in 2019, he was believed to have had a strong offseason.

Dominguez broke out in 2018, starting the season as a reliever in Reading and dominating his way to the majors by early May after spending much of his minor league career as a starter. In 53 games during his rookie season, Dominguez finished with a 2.95 ERA and 3.36 K/BB behind a dominant cutter/slider combo.

He struggled during his 2019 campaign, recording a 4.01 ERA and 2.42 K/BB in 27 games, and his injury was a huge blow to a bullpen that lost several key pieces early in the season.

While he was unable to return during last season, it was expected he would be ready to pitch to start the 2020 season until he experienced tightness during a Spring Training outing earlier this month.

Lauber notes complications that could prevent Dominguez from getting the surgery soon, even if he wants it. Elective procedures have been banned in several states including Pennsylvania, and Dominguez is currently not in the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic is making is unclear when baseball will resume operations. But, when the season resumes, it looks increasingly likely that the Phillies will have to look elsewhere in the bullpen for help in high-leverage situations.

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