LOS ANGELES -- Vince Velasquez knew his right elbow wasn't going to hold out forever. Typically, a repaired ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) lasts about seven years after a Tommy John surgery. Velasquez had his surgery in 2010, so he was able to pitch 13 years before needing to go under knife again.
"It just seemed like every time an incident happened and we did an MRI, it seemed like it was getting worse," Velasquez told traveling media at Dodger Stadium. "I think that's what made my decision be finalized into getting the repair, because of that. Knowing that what if I was going to take two, three months off, is it going to come back? Is it not?"
Velasquez is just under a month removed from his season-ending surgery and is already out of the brace. So far, the recovery has gone well. He got some home cooking back in southern California and reconnected with his team for the first time since his surgery this road trip.
While the procedure he underwent was to the UCL, it was a repair rather than a true Tommy John surgery due to the severity of the injury. A second Tommy John could take 18 months to recover from. The hope for Velasquez is that he could return to competition as soon as next May, given the initial projected 11-12 month recovery.
When he does return to the field, Velasquez is very open to continuing what he started with the Pirates.
"I would love to," Velasquez answered when asked if he would be interested in re-signing. "I don’t think I’ve really meshed with any other team besides this one. I don’t think I’ve felt like I was home."
The 31-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $3.15 million deal with the Pirates this past winter. After spending the past few years as a swingman, bouncing between the rotation and bullpen, he wanted an opportunity to start, which the Pirates had. Just as important for Velasquez was that he wanted to work with pitching coach Oscar Marin, who had helped José Quintana and Tyler Anderson turn their careers around when they were in a similar situation the previous two seasons.
For a month, it worked. Velasquez went 4-2 with a 3.06 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 32 1/3 innings in his first six starts. Armed with some mechanical tweaks and a slider-centric approach, he looked primed to have that bounce-back season.
However, he started to feel discomfort in his right elbow in his start against the Rays at the beginning of May. He was briefly shut down and returned after a rehab assignment at the end of the month. There he was pulled after just two innings after the elbow flared up again, and while he said afterwards that he was hopeful that he would throw again before the end of the season, he had the surgery shortly after.
"I hate to kind of throw in the towel like this, knowing that it was me, [Mitch] Keller, Rich [Hill], everyone else who was getting on board from the rotation, [who] was impacting the team, helping guys out, going deep into the game," Velasqeuz said. "Now it's unfortunate that I can't help in that aspect."
Not to suggest there is ever a good time to have a season-ending surgery, but it's easy to understand Velasquez's initial reluctance for getting the second procedure. His end-of-season 3.86 ERA is the lowest of his major-league career and he appeared to be coming into his own.
"It's really tough for him because I think he had found his niche," Derek Shelton said. "He had done his research in the offseason about where he wanted to go and the opportunities and I think he and Oscar really hit it off. Oscar saw him throw in the offseason and I think we had found something that really made him effective. And then when you get hurt in the middle of that, yeah, it's got to be extremely frustrating. Hopefully the rehab goes okay and he gets back to the form he was at."
It was unavoidable, though. A second UCL surgery is not a death sentence for a starter like it may have been 10 or 15 years ago. There's optimism that Velasquez can return to the same performance level he showed this year.
Until then, he plans to spend more time in the Pirates' clubhouse, including on some road trips. He'll be out for the season, but not absent.
"My job here now is to make sure these guys feel comfortable at any given level," Velasquez said. "No matter who it is. Just to make sure these guys are right where they need to be mentally."
Comfortability has been a two-way street. Velasquez has played for a handful of teams during his professional career, whether it be in the minors or majors, but Pittsburgh is the only place where he's felt at home. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that Velasquez wants to return next season.
"Just coming out of Spring Training, it felt like there was a different interaction, a different communication, whether it was on the field or off the field," Velasquez said. "There was a better connection whether it was going into the game or leaving the game. I think there was a great camaraderie between me and everyone else who has been part of the squad. It just seems like that connection, itself, goes a very long way. It seems like I’ve known these guys for years already and it’s only been half a season."
The Pirates could certainly use the starting pitching depth, even if Velasquez won't be ready for opening day. The Pirates already have two pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery who are not going to be ready for opening day but rather midseason: JT Brubaker and prospect Mike Burrows. Is it best to have three guys who fit that profile?
When weighing that decision, the Pirates will need to consider that Velasquez has absolutely bought into what the Pirates are working to build.
"I wanted to be part of a team that was going to be part of the biggest upsets," Velasquez said. "I can’t do it now, but I’m excited to see what we’re developing and try to take that over to the next year and be part of that."
