Thaddeus Ward has hit a major roadblock in his development.
The Red Sox pitching prospect recently underwent Tommy John surgery, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported Thursday afternoon. Dr. James Andrews performed the procedure on Ward, who was shut down in May with a right forearm strain.
A fifth-round pick in 2018, Ward entered the season as one of the top pitching prospects in the Red Sox farm system. He was ranked seventh overall on SoxProspects.com as recently as Thursday.
The Florida native made two starts this season for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, allowing five runs over eight innings. The 24-year-old obviously will be out for the remainder of the season.
Ward joined Bryan Mata as top Red Sox pitching prospects who recently have undergone Tommy John surgery. Mata underwent the procedure last month.
