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Yankees reliever Branden Pinder is deciding whether or not to undergo Tommy John surgery after an MRI revealed he has a UCL tear Saturday morning, according to NJ Advance Media's Brendan Kuty.
The tear is in Pinder's pitching elbow, Kuty points out. Pinder was placed on the disabled list with a right elbow strain earlier this week.
If Pinder opts to have the Tommy John procedure, he will be the second Yankee to undergo the season-ending surgery this season. Reliever Nick Rumbelow is also out following the procedure.
Pinder was a Yankees 16th round draft pick in 2011, but he quickly progressed through their minor league system. He had a fair amount of success with New York last season over 27.2 innings, pitching to a 2.93 ERA and 4.72 FIP.
To this point in 2016, Pinder has only tossed five innings, four of which have been in Triple-A. In his one inning with the Yankees this season, he allowed a pair of earned runs against the Athletics.
Nick Goody replaced Pinder on the roster and might find himself in a regular bullpen role if Pinder opts to have the Tommy John surgery.