Braves Prospect Traded for Jarred Kelenic Reportedly Has Second Tommy John Surgery
The Atlanta Braves were busy this offseason on the trade front, making a flurry of deals that ended with Atlanta adding several starters, like outfielder Jarred Kelenic and pitcher Chris Sale, as well as relievers Aaron Bummer and Ray Kerr.
And it turns out that one of those deals might be even better than we initially thought it would be.
Prospect pitcher , a 2nd-round pick by Atlanta in the 2022 MLB Draft that was moved to the Seattle Mariners as the centerpiece of the deal to acquire Kelenic, reportedly has had a second Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss all of 2024.
The news, which has not been confirmed by the team, was first reported by “Locked On Mariners” host Ty Dane Gonzalez.
Phillips, 20, has yet to pitch in professional baseball after being drafted by the Braves in the 2nd round of the 2022 MLB Draft. A prep pitcher in Boerne, TX, Phillips injured his UCL during his senior season and required Tommy John surgery, but Atlanta still took him in the 2nd round, paying a $1.5M signing bonus.
But after not getting back on a mound in game action by the end of the 2023 season, over 18 months after his April 2022 Tommy John procedure, Atlanta seemingly made the decision to move on from the righthander. Phillips served as the centerpiece of the deal with the Mariners for Kelenic, with struggling major-league reliever Jackson Kowar the 2nd piece leaving Atlanta in the deal.
