Cincinnati Reds get 'great news' on Tejay Antone's elbow; reliever expected back this year
NEW YORK — It seems nobody knows Tejay Antone’s twice-rebuilt elbow better than Tejay Antone.
After an MRI and checkup, the Cincinnati Reds right-hander was diagnosed with tendinitis in the elbow, manager David Bell said Friday, the day after Antone went on the 15-day injured list because of pain in the elbow.
“He’s going to get treatment and hopefully be back for the end of the season, which is really great news,” Bell said.
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“That’s about as good as you could get (for an update).”
Antone, who returned Sept. 2 following more than two years of recovering and rehab for a second Tommy John surgery, left the mound after facing three batters in Detroit on Wednesday night.
He said that night and again Thursday morning that the discomfort felt familiar, likening it to moments he had during rehab that were part of the normal comeback process and not considered setbacks.
“It’s no new pain. It’s nothing catastrophic,” he said Thursday morning before heading back to Cincinnati for the MRI. “To me it was just a flareup. … Maybe a few days off and then keep going.”
Antone, who was dominant in 2021 before he was hurt and effective again when he returned, is eligible to return from the IL on Sept. 29 in St. Louis for the opener of the Reds’ final series of the regular-season.
He could represent a huge boost for the bullpen at that point and, if the Reds are still in playoff position, perhaps even bigger in the postseason — for a pen that already leads the league in collective bullpen WAR (baseball-reference.com).
“He’s capable of that for sure,” Bell said. “He’s a little bit different pitcher in the sense that I think he’s got a few more weapons to use now that he picked up while he was out (rehabbing).”
Antone mentioned that when he returned two weeks ago, that he expected to rely less on trying to overpower hitters and strike guys out.
“Health is the big concern, but if he keeps checking out,” Bell said, “there’s a chance he’s better now than he’s ever been.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Elbow injury won't end Cincinnati Reds reliever Tejay Antone's season
