Phillies Starter To Have Season-Ending Surgery

 

A tough break for the Philadelphia Phillies, who have recently closed their gap in the NL East to just 2.5 games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves. Starter Zach Eflin is having season-ending patellar tendon surgery on Friday. 

A brutal development for the 2022 Phillies: Zach Eflin will undergo surgery this week to repair his right patellar tendon. The team says Eflin’s expected recovery time is 6-8 months, which will affect his outlook for next season. More to come.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) September 8, 2021

What's even worse, is that the recovery time of 6-8 months will eat into the beginning of next season as well. April is now an optimistic return date. 

Eflin has been out since July 16th, after going 4-7 with a 4.17 ERA in the first half. The injury was initially diagnosed as right patellar tendinities, and the team held out some hope that he might possibly return in September, as he had rehabbed to the point of making a minor league rehab start on Aug. 31st. But that lasted just 2.1 innings and 31 pitches. 

The patellar issue is a chronic condition for Eflin, and the 27-year-old had the same surgery on both knees in 2016. 

He's in his 6th season with the Phillies, with a career mark of 33-40 with a 4.55 ERA. He becomes a free agent after the 2022 season, so it's an especially tough break for him. 

Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports