Chad Green Latest Yankees Pitcher In Need of Tommy John Surgery

Green has not been on the IL since 2016. He’s set to become a free agent this offseason.

The Yankees already knew that Luis Gil needs Tommy John surgery. Now it’s been confirmed that Chad Green does as well.

Aaron Boone revealed Sunday that the right-handed reliever will undergo the procedure. Green, one of the more durable Yankees players in recent memory, has not been on the injured list since September 2016. Now he needs Tommy John as an impending free agent.

“What a great, reliable player he's been for us,” Boone said before New York’s double-header against the White Sox. "It's tough news, difficult, but also, with this surgery, there's usually some certainty with it. It's usually something that pitchers are able to return from and I know he will. He's an outstanding athlete that takes great care of himself that has a really good work ethic. So I know that in time, he'll be fine and [I] expect him to pitch several more years at the level we've come to expect.”

Green exited his appearance in Baltimore on Thursday afternoon with right forearm tightness. Up until now, the Yankees had not disclosed the severity of his injury, but it was clear that he was going to miss some time.

Green, 30, has appeared in 260 games since the start of the 2017 season, recording a 2.96 ERA while pitching in a number of roles. The Yankees toyed with him as a starter earlier in his career, but he has mostly worked as a versatile reliever capable of throwing multiple innings.

Green had a 3.00 ERA over 14 appearances this season.

A staple of the Yankees’ pen for years, it is now unclear when – or with whom – Green will take the mound again.

"Chad's a lot that's right about our sport just in the way he prepares, how he takes care of himself, the professional that he is, the respect he carries in that room, the track record of consistent success. So it's difficult," Boone said before Saturday's game. "He’s handled it as good as you can. Those of you who know him, he's just such a consistent person, a pro, strong faith. So he's equipped to handle this and certainly will as well as you can moving forward."

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