Phils reliever Seranthony Dominguez suffered a setback a few weeks ago while recovering from the elbow strain that removed him from action last season.

It seemed inevitable then, and especially now, that he was destined for Tommy John surgery, a recommendation that has reportedly been made to him.

Via Scott Lauber at the Philadelphia Inquirer:

It has been suggested to Dominguez that he undergo a reconstruction of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, a source close to the Phillies reliever said Monday evening. The procedure, commonly known as Tommy John surgery, typically sidelines a pitcher for at least 12 months.

But Dominguez has not yet decided whether to go through with it. Tests aren’t conclusive for a tear in the ligament, according to the source, so Dominguez has returned to the Dominican Republic with plans to rest his arm while baseball is shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. When (or if?) the Phillies resume spring training, he intends to go for additional testing to determine if there has been improvement.

Dominguez is 25 years old, so he’s got plenty of gas left in the tank. Seems like one of those situations where it might just be better to get this done and get it out of the way instead of kicking the can down the road, which already resulted in a setback. Who knows if they try to go the non-surgery route and another issue pops up, similar to what happened with DeSean Jackson this past season. Different sports, I know, but similar multi-path ways to proceed.

Here’s Bob’s take on the matter:

“Even with Dominguez at full strength, the Phillies went into this season with a bullpen a piece or two short, a mistake compounded by the reality of a wildly inconsistent rotation which will trot out a question mark three out of every five nights this season.”