Promising Red Sox southpaw undergoes Tommy John surgery and will miss all of the 2024 season
The Red Sox announced that left-hander Chris Murphy underwent successful Tommy John surgery.
Murphy underwent a reconstruction of his ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, which was performed by Dr. Keith Meister at the Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery in Arlington, Texas. The 25-year-old will miss the entire season but should be able to resume baseball activities in 2025.
Murphy is the second Red Sox pitcher to undergo elbow surgery this season, joining Lucas Giolito, who underwent an internal brace procedure.
Red Sox skipper Alex Cora told reporters on Tuesday that the club expected Murphy to be a big part of the roster this season. Murphy came into camp vying for a spot in the bullpen after making his big league debut in 2023.
“(He was going) to be a big part of us,” Cora said. “Multiple-inning lefty that can get righties out. He did an amazing job last year, getting righties. Velocity was good, but the pitchability was great. He was going to be part of this.”
The southpaw was strong out of the gate for the Red Sox, pitching mainly in a bulk relief role; he posted a 1.59 ERA in 28 1/3 innings over his first nine appearances. The wheels came off a little bit in August, struggling in two separate outings where he allowed six earned runs.
In total, Murphy finished the season with a 4.91 ERA in 47 2/3 innings. While pitching for the WooSox, he struggled, posting a 6.32 ERA in 52 2/3 innings of work. It wasn’t until he was moved to the Worcester bullpen that he started to flash on the mound. Murphy struggled with his command and got behind in counts at the beginning of the Triple-A season.