Matt Hobgood has been a disappointment since the Orioles selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft, throwing 158 innings with a 5.48 ERA in the low minors, and now Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that the 21-year-old right-hander will miss the entire season following shoulder surgery.
According to Connolly he’ll go under the knife on April 2 to “size down his right rotator cuff.” Tommy John elbow surgery gets all the attention, but rotator cuff surgeries are often even tougher for pitchers to come back from.
Hobgood received a $2.4 million signing bonus and wasted no time debuting in full-season ball, but he’s been dealing with shoulder problems since late 2010, spending last season on and off the disabled list while unsuccessfully trying rest and rehab.