Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Zack Britton Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

New York Yankees reliever Zack Britton could miss the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his left elbow to repair and reconstruct his UCL

Pat Ragazzo

Zack Britton’s time with the Yankees could be over.

On Thursday, Aaron Boone announced that Britton underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct and repair the UCL in his left elbow. Along with this procedure, Britton also had a bone chip removed from his elbow as well.

Although the Yankees initially hoped that Britton would not need Tommy John, this proved not to be the case. The best-case scenario is the 33-year-old reliever will be able to return at the end of next season.

Britton is set to become a free agent after the 2022 season, which is why his tenure with the Yankees is all but done.

The left-hander had a disappointing campaign this year, posting a 5.89 ERA in just 18.1 innings of work. Britton underwent surgery during spring training to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow once already, which kept him out until June 12. Two weeks later, he went down with a hamstring strain.

Upon his return, Britton struggled mightily. A left elbow sprain landed him on the 60-day IL, thus ending his nightmarish season.

Unfortunately, Britton’s sprain turned out to be more serious, and it will now wipe out the majority—if not the entirety—of his 2022 season.

With Britton’s injuries and struggles, the back end of the Yankees’ bullpen has looked like a shell of what we are typically used to seeing. Mix that in with the woes of closer Aroldis Chapman, Jonathan Loáisiga's shoulder strain and the Yankees odds of making a run in October, should they clinch a postseason berth, look bleak at this point.

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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