Lucas Giolito, the Washington Nationals' first-round selection in the 2012 MLB Draft, will undergo Tommy John surgery on Aug. 31, the Washington Times is reporting. The news comes a day after Giolito visited Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles and found out his torn ulnar collateral ligament would require surgery.
Giolito's elbow issues stem all the way back to his high school days and have been watched very carefully by the organization. On Monday, the Nationals made it clear that surgery could be a possible outcome for their No. 16-overall selection.
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound righty was projected to be a starter, maybe an ace, for the organization. However, this setback will push back his timetable to the majors a bit. The good news is, Giolito is in good hands as Yocum was the same doctor who performed Tommy John surgery on Nats' ace Stephen Strasburg.
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