The injury bug has hit the Washington Nationals once again, this time claiming right-hander Aaron Barrett. The 27-year-old will undergo surgery on his right elbow, according to manager Matt Williams.
Aaron Barrett will have surgery on his elbow, per Matt Williams. It's looking like it'll be Tommy John. Tough break for Barrett.
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) September 1, 2015
Aaron Barrett most likely needs Tommy John surgery. #Nats #Nationals #MLB
— William Ladson (@washingnats) September 1, 2015
Barrett was originally placed on the disabled list with a sprained right elbow back in early August. Over the past two seasons, He's been a staple of the Nats bullpen with a 3.47 ERA in 70 innings. He also sported a 10.8 K/9 rate and a 3.5 BB/9 over that time.
If Barrett does need Tommy John, he could miss all of the 2016 season due to the one year recovery time. While Barrett could make it back at some point in September of next season, a more realistic time frame for him is opening day of 2017.