Anderson Espinoza’s road back to the mound is considerably longer now.
The Padres’ 21-year-old pitching prospect underwent a second Tommy John surgery on Monday in Dallas, further delaying development originally halted when pain in his right elbow required his initial reconstruction in August 2017.
Anderson had been progressing toward a late April/early May return to the mound, likely with high Single-A Lake Elsinore, when he suffered his latest setback, a ruptured graft. Dr. Keith Meister performed both surgeries, which generally require 14- to 18-month recovery windows.
“It’s brutal,” General Manager A.J. Preller said. “He’s put in a ton of time and effort.