Ole Miss right-hander Gunnar Hoglund, one of the top starting pitchers available in this year's MLB draft class, will undergo Tommy John surgery next week and will be sidelined for at least the next year, CBS Sports confirmed with an industry source.
Hoglund, 21, left his start on Friday against Texas A&M during the first inning after experiencing forearm tightness, often a precursor to ulnar collateral ligament damage. CBS Sports recently ranked him as the seventh-best prospect in the class, writing the following:
Here's the best statistic to demonstrate Hoglund's above-average control: he's walked 2.6 batters per nine innings this season, and that's by far the worst mark of his collegiate career. In addition to being a polished strike thrower, he has a broad arsenal that features a ton of spin, beginning with his boring fastball and extending to his cutter-like slider. Add in how Hoglund has been vetted by the Southeastern Conference, and he should work his way into the top 10 as a quick-moving No. 3 or 4 starter.
Hoglund is still likely to be selected in the early stages of July's draft, even if it's later than he would've been picked otherwise. Whoever takes him will do so with the knowledge that he's unlikely to pitch in a meaningful matter until the 2023 season, based on the now-standard 14-to-18-month recovery timeline for the operation. With that in mind, he could be an attractive option for a team that possesses multiple early round picks, like the Miami Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, or Minnesota Twins.
In 11 starts this season, Hoglund had amassed a 2.87 ERA and a 5.65 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Hoglund will become the second notable draft prospect to undergo Tommy John surgery this spring. LSU's Jaden Hill, who entered the draft cycle in contention for a top-10 pick, underwent the operation in April.
