GLENDALE, Ariz. – Mike Vasil will undergo Tommy John surgery in the coming weeks, ending his 2026 season before it ever began.
Vasil left Saturday’s start against the Dodgers with soreness in his right elbow, a discouraging turn of events after he held the two-time defending champions scoreless over 3 2/3 innings.
“Obviously not the news you want to hear, but I think for me and all these years of being able to pitch healthy and throwing a lot of innings, it’s just something that happens in today’s game,” Vasil said. “Sometimes you can’t avoid it."
Vasil “knew something was off” on Saturday, but tests confirmed that he had torn his ulnar collateral ligament. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the surgery – which Vasil said would also involve removing some bone chips in his elbow – in Arlington, Texas, on April 2.
“To perform at a high level, sometimes it’s the price you pay to be able to push your body to the limits,” Vasil said. “I’m not happy about it, but I know I’m going to come back better than ever.”
Vasil was a key piece of the White Sox bullpen during his rookie season, going 5-3 with four saves and a 2.50 ERA in 101 innings over 47 appearances (three starts). The right-hander was competing for a spot in Chicago’s rotation, though he was likely ticketed for the bullpen, where he could have filled a variety of roles as he did a year ago.
With Vasil out for the season and right-hander Jonathan Cannon optioned to Triple-A on Tuesday, manager Will Venable announced that Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin and Erick Fedde would start the first five games of the regular season.
“He was really kind of a Swiss Army Knife for us and we’re going to have to have guys step up in the bullpen,” Venable said. “It’s a big blow to everyone, but most importantly we want to make sure Vas is in a good frame of mind. He seems to be taking the news well, and he’ll come back stronger than ever.”
The 25-year-old was the Mets’ eighth-round selection in 2021, going to the Rays (via the Phillies) in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. The White Sox claimed him off waivers last March, then he made his MLB debut on March 31.
The standard timeline for a pitcher to return from Tommy John surgery is 12-18 months, though Vasil has already circled April 2, 2027, as a personal goal date.
“Whether that’s going to happen, I don’t know,” Vasil said. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make it as speedy and also take the precautionary measures so that I’m back and I’m ready. When I look at my career, this is something that is very early; I’m not by any means towards the end of it.”
Since learning the news, Vasil has already spoken with Smith, Burke and Martin, all of whom had Tommy John surgery earlier in their careers.
“It’s not like a kind of crazy injury enough that nobody’s done it,” Vasil said. “There’s been a lot of guys who have gone through it. For me, it’s like if anybody can get through this mentally and find the positives, I know I can do it. It’s just, for me, I know at times I’m going to want to jump on the field and try to start pitching even when I do feel good. But I know that’s not possible.”
Vasil will stay with the White Sox throughout much of his rehab, allowing the pitcher to have an impact on his teammates off the field. Venable called Vasil “one of the glue guys,” adding he had already heard from a number of people lobbying for that scenario.
“I’m a guy that will sometimes have that split personality of a competitor on the mound and a fun guy in the clubhouse; my job for the next year is to be that fun guy in the clubhouse, bring the energy,” Vasil said. “My goal is whether I have a brace on or I still have my stitches in, whatever, I still continue to bring that energy every day. … Hopefully that rubs off on everybody else.”