No. 1 prospect Tiedemann has elbow inflammation, no structural damage
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TORONTO -- The Blue Jays got the "best possible news" on Ricky Tiedemann, as examinations showed no ligament damage in the No. 1 prospect's left elbow.
Manager John Schneider said on Friday that Tiedemann has been diagnosed with ulnar nerve inflammation and he is expected to resume throwing within the next seven to 10 days. That's a big bounce the right way for Toronto, which has dealt with an array of pitching injuries in the early days of the 2024 season.
"We're confident he'll be back throwing again pretty soon," Schneider said from his office at Rogers Centre. "That's the best possible news."
Tiedemann underwent an MRI and landed on the seven-day injured list at Triple-A on April 18 after experiencing left elbow discomfort and skipping his start the day before. The left-hander last pitched on April 11, a two-run outing in 3 2/3 innings against Worcester in which he walked three batters and allowed two home runs while striking out seven. That brought his ERA to 5.63 in eight innings over three starts, not an ideal beginning for a prospect expected to reach the Majors at some point in 2024.
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Still, the news of no structural damage is a big sigh of relief for the Blue Jays, especially since Alek Manoah continues to show inconsistency in his rehab from right shoulder soreness. Bowden Francis -- Toronto's long reliever who figured to be the next man up should the club need another starter -- also landed on the IL on Thursday with right forearm extensor tendinitis.
Tiedemann's health will be closely monitored from now until he makes his Major League debut. A third-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Golden West (Calif.) College, Tiedemann pitched only 44 innings last season due to shoulder soreness and left biceps inflammation.
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The 21-year-old was limited to 6 2/3 innings in Spring Training this year due to hamstring and calf inflammation. He showed his well-documented upside during that limited time, though, reaching 98 mph with his fastball while boasting confidence and command on the mound.
Avoiding a major injury was step one in resetting Tiedemann's debut countdown.
"Obviously, it’s just staying healthy, going out there every outing and throwing strikes," Tiedemann said during Spring Training. "That's what they want to see no matter what. If I'm in the zone, I think my stuff plays well enough that they're going to need it at some point."