Red Sox pitching prospect Thaddeus Ward has Tommy John surgery

Thaddeus Ward was drafted by the Red Sox in 2018.John Bazemore

Bad news continues to mount for Red Sox pitching prospects.

Righthander Thaddeus Ward, ranked by Baseball America as the No. 10 Red Sox pitching prospect entering the year, underwent Tommy John surgery, according to a major league source. Dr. James Andrews performed the procedure.

Ward, a 24-year-old in Double A Portland, made two starts for the Sea Dogs this year, allowing five runs while striking out 11 and walking five in eight innings, before getting shut down with a forearm strain.

Thaddeus Ward one of the best pitching prospects in the Red Sox organization, will be on the shelf after surgery.John Bazemore

Ward, a 2018 fifth-round pick out of the University of Central Florida, emerged as one of the top Red Sox pitching prospects with a strong 2019 season in which he went 8-5 with a 2.14 ERA and 11.2 strikeouts and 4.1 walks per nine over 126⅓ innings frames for Single A Greenville and High A Salem. He did not pitch in 2020, with the cancellation of the minor league season.

Ward is the second Red Sox pitching prospect this year to need Tommy John surgery, joining righthander Bryan Mata, who required the procedure in April after entering the year as the team’s No. 4 prospect.

Not how we wanted 2021 to end, but with this comes an opportunity to come back stronger. The road to recovery starts now. pic.twitter.com/iI6YpSrxu7

— Thaddeus Ward (@TWard_12) June 3, 2021

Additionally, righthander Tanner Houck, the team’s No. 8 prospect, is on the injured list with Triple A Worcester with a flexor muscle strain. He threw his first bullpen session Tuesday since landing on the injured list last month.

Connor Seabold, the team’s No. 11 overall prospect entering the year, has yet to pitch in a minor league game after opening the year on Worcester’s injured list with elbow inflammation. Like Houck, Seabold has begun a throwing program.