Drew Pomeranz will not require surgery

After feeling tightness in his forearm over the final games of the season, it appears Drew Pomeranz will not require surgery. The Red Sox left-handed starter was acquired at the deadline from the Padres and made 13 starts with his new team, while skipping some due to his injury.

Though Pomeranz avoided the disabled list with his new team, the Red Sox did file a grievance with the league regarding the Padres’ concealment of medical information. That grievance directly led to the suspension of the Padres’ GM A.J. Preller in mid-September—a suspension he is still serving.

The Red Sox weren’t alone in their disapproval of the Padres’ actions; the Marlins and White Sox also reported issues with the Marlins even undoing a trade involving Colin Rea.

The saga appears to be nearing an end though, as Red Sox President Dave Dombrowski announced that Pomeranz will not require offseason surgery due to the injuries:

"[Pomeranz] has seen the doctor, the doctor looked at him, I can't really disclose totally everything that was done, but the doctor said no surgical procedure and the doctor feels he will be ready for next spring training for us."

Pomeranz pitched 68.2 innings over 13 starts with the Red Sox after being traded. Pomeranz’s 102 innings with the Padres represented an impressive breakout for the 27-year-old lefty. With the Padres, Pomeranz posted career bests in innings pitched, FIP, and strikeout rate. His performance warranted the Red Sox sending top prospect Anderson Espinoza back to the Padres.

While injuries likely hampered his ability with the Red Sox, Pomeranz’s conversion back to the American League wasn’t especially fluid. Over 17 starts with the Padres, Pomeranz allowed just eight home runs. However, over 13 starts with the Red Sox though, Pomeranz allowed 14 homers. His strikeout rate dropped a bit, and he went from 23 percent better than league average by FIP-, to 14 percent worse.

Pomeranz is eligible for arbitration both this offseason and next. The fact that Pomeranz is under team control for two more seasons means that the Red Sox could part with Espinoza and that the acquisition could still warrant losing a top prospect. Not requiring surgery means the lefty will likely be available to the team come Spring Training, with the Red Sox undoubtedly in contention of repeating on their AL East title.