Asa Lacy already hasn't pitched in a game since 2022, and now the Kansas City Royals' former first round pick will miss all of 2024 due to UCL reconstruction surgery.
Kansas City Royals prospect Asa Lacy has undergone UCL reconstruction surgery and will miss all of 2024, the left-handed pitcher announced Wednesday.
Lacy, 24, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. The Texas A&M product already missed the entire 2023 season, and now he won't be available again until 2025.
Here is the full message Lacy posted on Instagram:
Lacy was a shutdown starter in college, going 14-5 with a 2.07 ERA, 1.013 WHIP and 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings as a member of the Aggies.
It was a tough transition to professional ball for Lacy, who went 2-5 with a 5.19 ERA in High-A in 2021. He split his time between the Rookie and Double-A levels in 2022, going 2-2 with a 10.61 ERA.
Lacy was ranked as the No. 30 prospect in baseball entering 2021. By the time the 2022 preseason rankings came out, Lacy had dropped to No. 72, and he hasn't appeared in the Top 100 after that.
With just 80.0 professional innings under his belt, Lacy hasn't had much of a chance to turn things around on the mound. And with another injury knocking him out for another whole year, Lacy will have to wait a little longer before he next attempts to take the next step in his progression.
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