Blue Jays receive best possible injury update on top prospect Ricky Tiedemann

Considering the recent string of bad news that the Toronto Blue Jays have endured on the injury front, they finally got some much-needed sigh of relief for one of their top prospects. According to Jays’ manager John Schneider, further results and evaluation for Jays Journal No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann revealed that his injured elbow was due to ulnar nerve inflammation with no tear. If all goes well, Tiedemann could be back on the mound and throwing again in 7-10 days.

That represented the best possible news the Jays have heard of in a while. After all, three of their top pitching prospects had gone down to injury in recent weeks and were all scheduled for further medical testing this week as Jays’ nation braced for the worst. 

For the former third round pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, it has been a roller-coaster of a journey in pursuit of the major leagues for Tiedemann. After putting together a breakout minor league season back in 2022 where he posted a 2.17 ERA, 0.86 WHIP with an astounding 117 strikeouts in just 78.2 innings pitched, his rapid ascension has been unexpectedly slowed down by injuries in recent years. Last season, Tiedemann missed almost three months due to left biceps inflammation, limiting him to just a total of 15 starts. However, despite some struggles and adversity, he impressed enough to earn a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo for his final start in 2023.

This year, Tiedemann’s strong training camp with the big league club nearly earned him a spot on the Jays’ 26-man Opening Day roster. Nevertheless, he nonchalantly began the year in Buffalo to gear up in preparation for his hopeful call-up later on in the season. In three starts prior to his current ailment, Tiedemann surprisingly had struggled a bit with his command and control, compiling a 5.63 ERA and 2.00 WHIP with a whopping 9 walks in just 8 innings of work. So perhaps with the timing of his injury, it is a blessing in disguise to give him a little time off to get himself back on track.

Hopefully, with Tiedemann dodging a major bullet with his pitching elbow, he will be back soon and stronger than ever as he continues his quest to become an MLB pitcher in the not-so-distant future.