Yankees Injury Update: Scott Effross

He has a long road to recovery ahead.

Relief pitcher Scott Effross had a superb season for the Cubs and Yankees last year, posting a 2.54 ERA in 60 appearances.

The Yankees acquired Effross from the Cubs at the trade deadline in exchange for pitching prospect Hayden Wesneski, a Triple-A righty, who throws 99 mph.

Effross made an immediate impact with the Yankees, posting a 2.13 ERA in 13 games.

However, it was discovered in early-October that Effross had a torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery. Now, he is likely out for the entire 2023 season.

In a conversation with Randy Miller of NJ.com, Effross updated him on his progress so far.

“If you’re diligent with it and take your time, it has good success,” Effross told NJ.com. “That’s kind of where I’m at right now. I really don’t even have pitching this season as my goal. The goal to be as best as I can at my (throwing) distance, then back it up and see where it goes. Obviously I want to be back out there as soon as I can, but I don’t want to come back too early and hurt the team.”

Effross started a throwing program about a week and a half ago. But he is starting "super light," playing catch between 45 and 60 feet. The 29-year-old says he feels good, which is a positive sign in Tommy John recovery, which brings along plenty of setbacks for most pitchers.

Once Effross accepted his fate, he was able to focus on getting his range of motion back, which led to his throwing program. He still has several steps that lie ahead, such as long-toss, throwing all of his pitches, throwing off the mound, facing hitters and pitching in rehab outings. This will take months without any setbacks. 

“I’ll be here (in Tampa) for the bulk of the year,” Effross said. “It’s a long progression. Recovering from TJ, they seem to have it down to a science where you follow the structure. They’ve laid it out for me and gave me the plan.”

The realistic timeline for Effross is to be back and fully healthy by Spring Training of 2024. The Yankees don't need to rush him back because he is under team control through 2027.

“I don’t want to put a date on it,” Effross said. “It’s obviously a lengthy process, so I’m always looking ahead to the next couple days as opposed to expanding too far into the future. But I feel good and I just want to check off the next box and see where I’m at.”

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