Atlanta Braves Kolby Allard: Back Surgery
Nov 7, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Detailed view of an official baseball during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
This is not something you normally hear about for any athlete, but especially not an 18-year-old:
According to one of my MLB sources, Braves top draft pick LHP Kolby Allard had surgery on his back after he was shut down in GCL this year.
— gondeee (@gondeee) November 19, 2015
Allard apparently had two vertebrae fused in his back. He was already a high-risk, high-reward pick, now leaning more toward the risk side.
— gondeee (@gondeee) November 19, 2015
More from Tomahawk Take
- Braves News: Braves prospect rankings, Correa deal with Mets at risk, more
- Why the Atlanta Braves won’t extend Max Fried
- Atlanta Braves 2023 Preseason Top 30 Prospects List: 1-5
- Braves News: Braves acquire Diaz, moves around the division, more
- Atlanta Braves 2012 Top Prospects Review: J.R. Graham
Full credit to Martin Gandy for getting this information out: this has been hidden from view since August, when the GCL short season finished up. In fact, Kolby Allard only pitched 3 times for a total of 6 innings, the last time being August 21st.
Allard, the #1 pick for the Braves in the 2015 draft (14th overall) turned 18 on August 13th. He fell lower in the draft due to a March “stress reaction” in his back – an issue that was said to be completely healed by draft day.
Braves fans may recall that Tim Hudson had a lumbar spine fusion procedure performance at the end of November of 2011. In this Sporting News quote from the following March 12th, Hudson reported that he hoped to be cleared to throw off a mound within that next week, with a goal of rejoining the rotation by May 1st. He actually beat that estimate, throwing 5 innings on April 29th… and getting the win while allowing just 2 earned runs while striking out 6.
Next: Gambling Schemes Sure to Fail
So on the fully optimistic bent while knowing zero on details about the complexity of the operation or anything else about Allard’s condition, an operation occurring at perhaps the end of August would – in theory – put Allard in line to begin a normal Spring schedule on time… and it seems Mark Bowman was asking the same question:
Confirmed @gondee's report that Kolby Allard had back surgery after the GCL season. The #Braves say Allard will be ready at start of ST
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) November 19, 2015
A #Braves official said Allard's most recent surgery was not as significant as the one that had been performed on his back earlier this year
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) November 19, 2015
Hopefully for his sake – and in this case I mean his personal life, not even his baseball career – that’s the extent of the issue. But he’s still awfully young to be having major back issues like this.