Brent Honeywell has torn UCL, likely to have Tommy John surgery

Brent Honeywell has been diagnosed with a torn UCL and will likely be undergoing Tommy John surgery in the near future.

Honeywell, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, left his live BP session after just 10 pitches yesterday afternoon after experiencing pain in his pain in his pitching arm. He would be originally diagnosed with a right forearm strain, with reports this morning confirming the tear.

This is a huge blow for the Rays and Honeywell as he’ll be on the shelf for over a year while rehabbing the injury. Honeywell was participating in his first major league spring training camp, and although he likely wasn’t ticketed for the Opening Day roster, he would have been one of the first pitchers promoted during the regular season.

Honeywell was the 72nd overall selection in the 2014 draft and quickly became one of the most talked about pitching prospects in baseball thanks to his screwball. Honeywell would bring a lot more to the table though then just that devastating pitch as he also possesses a plus-plus fastball and several other quality pitches with solid command, sending him up the ladder on top prospects lists.

During the 2017 season, Honeywell dominated down the stretch for the Durham Bulls, but not before being named the first pitcher to win the Futures’ Game MVP award for his dominance in the annual prospect showcase. As of now, he is ranked as the 14th top prospect in all of baseball.