Miami Marlins Top Prospect Max Meyer Needs Tommy John Surgery

Max Meyer, the Marlins' No. 2 prospect, made just two MLB starts before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament.

Max Meyer’s season is over.

Meyer, the Marlins’ second-best prospect, per MLB.com, will undergo Tommy John surgery, the team announced Thursday. The news comes after an MRI revealed a tear in the right-hander’s ulnar collateral ligament.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache will operate on the 23-year-old Meyer in Los Angeles in the coming days. Meyer decided to have surgery after seeking multiple opinions, per MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola.

The third overall pick in the 2020 draft, Meyer shot up the Marlins’ organizational ladder and made his major league debut on July 16. The rookie didn’t pitch well that day, allowing five earned runs over 5.1 innings against the Phillies, but his arrival came with the promise of Miami adding another talented, young arm to its rotation.

But Meyer recorded just two outs in his second big league start on July 23 before exiting with elbow discomfort. Meyer threw his 10th pitch of the game against the Pirates, winced, and called for manager Don Mattingly and the training staff before departing.

While every pitcher is different, rehabbing after Tommy John surgery can take 12-18 months. That means Meyer may not pitch for the Marlins again until 2024. It’s a devastating blow for the talented hurler, who had a healthy track record before right ulnar nerve irritation forced him to miss a month earlier this season.

Meyer’s UCL diagnosis was not the only injury news the Marlins’ pitching staff dealt with on Thursday. Southpaw Daniel Castano exited the team’s afternoon game against the Reds with a mild concussion and a forehead contusion after taking a line drive off his cap and head. Castano was able to walk off the field under his own power and appeared alert, and a CT scan came back normal.

Despite injuries, starting pitching is Miami’s strength. Sandy Alcantara is on the shortlist for Cy Young favorites, while Pablo López, Trevor Rogers and Braxton Garrett fill in behind him. Jesús Luzardo and Edward Cabrera, among others, are also working their way back from their own injuries.