After a second opinion, Yankees starting pitcher Michael Pineda will go under the knife to have elbow surgery. Dr. Kremchek will perform the Tommy John Surgery. That comes as a big blow to a Yankees team with hopes of contending this year.
It’s unlikely the Jays and Yankees will be trade partners in the days leading up to the deadline, but with another team potentially looking for a starting pitcher now, the market for Marco Estrada, Francisco Liriano and even J.A. Happ may have gotten stronger.
That obviously depends on the performance and health of the Blue Jays starters, as Liriano left his last start early due to neck pain, Estrada has struggled to prevent runs and Happ has missed some time earlier this season due to elbow inflammation.
For Pineda and the Yankees this is awful news. Hopefully a full recovery happens and Pineda is back healthy in the 2nd half of 2018. From a Blue Jays standpoint, this may help them in the short-term if they shop a starting pitcher before July 31st.