Jay Groome officially is on the road to recovery.
The Boston Red Sox’s 19-year-old pitching prospect underwent successful Tommy John surgery on his left elbow Tuesday, the team announced.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the operation at the Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. The Red Sox gave no timetable for Groome’s return.
The hard-throwing left-hander pitched well in 2016 after Boston selected him 12th overall in the 2016 MLB Draft. He was limited to just 55 1/3 innings last year while battling a flexor strain, though, and posted a 5.69 ERA over 14 starts between the Class A Short Season Lowell Spinners and Single-A Greenville Drive.
Groome began the 2018 season on Greenville’s disabled list, and the Red Sox announced last week he’d need surgery on his pitching elbow.
The New Jersey native is the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s system and the 85th-ranked prospect in the majors, so the club is hoping Tuesday’s operation gets him back on track to reaching his lofty potential.
