Kentucky baseball: Elite signee will have Tommy John surgery

Kentucky signee and MLB Draft prospect Ben Jordan will have Tommy John surgery. Frankie Piliere from D1baseball.com reported the news on Twitter. A source later confirmed the news to Catsillustrated.com.

Jordan, a 6-foot-9 righthanded pitcher from Olive Hill, Ky., is one of the prize recruits in Kentucky’s 2017 recruiting class. Jordan was an Under Armour All-American and considered as one of the top righthanded arms in the country. His fastball was touching 96 miles per hour prior to his surgery.

The timing of the surgery is likely to affect his draft status. With just a little over a month away from the MLB Draft, Jordan’s draft stock is likely to take a hit. It’s an unfortunate result for Jordan, but it could help Kentucky’s chances of Jordan enrolling for school.

According to MLB.com, the average recovery time for the surgery is 12-16 months, meaning it’s unlikely that Jordan will pitch next season if he was to enroll at Kentucky.

One source said Jordan is a great athlete despite his 6-foot-9 frame. His fastball typically sits between 90-94 miles per hour and his curveball and slider could develop into plus pitches down the road.

In an interview with Catsillustrated.com last summer, Jordan said scouts liked what they’d seen from him.

"They said I have a really high ceiling,” Jordan said. “They think I'd be a possible first rounder. It's just about how I'm going to show this fall. A lot of people think talent-wise I can compete with everybody. I've just go to go out there and do it to succeed and do my best. And I've got to stay healthy."