Nationals Starter To Undergo 2nd Tommy John Surgery

For the second time in five years, Washington Nationals starter Joe Ross will get the Tommy John treatment. He'll undergo the infamous surgery to correct his latest elbow issues.

Joe Ross has opted to undergo Tommy John surgery. No date has been set yet, and there is no timetable for his return. Ross previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017.

— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) May 31, 2022

It's likely the end of the line for Ross in a Nationals uniform, as he becomes a free agent at season's end. 

The 29-year-old has spent his entire 6-year career with the Nats, compiling a 4.26 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. He missed nearly all of the 2018 season after his first TJ surgery, and sat out the 2020 shortened season due to the pandemic. 

Ross had suffered a partial UCL tear last August that ended his season early, but had chosen a non-surgical route to try and recover. He's been out since spring training with more issues in the elbow, and had just started a rehab assignment when the soreness cropped up again. 

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that Ross had received numerous medical opinions, and "they all came back saying that he needed surgery."

If this is it for Ross in Washington, he does have a World Series ring to take with him, for his part on the 2019 championship team.

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