Rocky Mountain right-handed pitcher Scott Oberg was operated on Thursday night to treat a recurrence of blood clots in his right elbow that have kept him out of Major League action since August. of 2019. It is his fourth fight with the disease.
The surgery, performed at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, is likely to end Oberg’s career, all 259 games of which are the Rockies ’most pitchers since he debuted in 2015.
Oberg, 30, was one of the top lifeguards in the Majors in 2018 and 19 before the condition, which first appeared on 18, returned and ended his season. Apparently, Oberg was close to a comeback last August, when the condition resurfaced.
In September, Oberg underwent surgery at the University of Pennsylvania for thoracic discharge syndrome. The hope was that if doctors removed the upper rib from the right side, some of the constrictions caused by the clots would subside.
This spring, Oberg made four unscored appearances, the last Monday. Oberg had four strikeouts, hit a batter and kept opponents twice in his four innings this spring, and looked like he was getting ahead of being healthy enough to start the season. But then the crisis hit Thursday night.
In 2018 and 19, Oberg went 14-2 with an ERA of 2.35 in 105 appearances. His ERA is the fifth lowest among pitchers with at least 100 innings since ’18. Oberg’s 3.85 ERA is the seventh lowest in club history among pitchers with at least 200 innings.