HOUSTON – Travis Sykora, the Nationals’ top pitching prospect, needs Tommy John surgery after a recent MRI revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
It’s a significant blow for the 21-year-old, who was trending toward being big league-ready sometime in 2026. Now he’s likely to miss most, if not all, of that season while recovering from the elbow surgery.
Sykora hadn’t pitched since July 5, when he departed his second start with Double-A Harrisburg after only one inning. Initial exams on his arm suggested he had not suffered a significant injury, and the organization’s medical staff decided to shut him down for two-to-three weeks before resuming a throwing program. A club source at the time compared the situation to that of fellow prospect Jarlin Susana, who recently returned to the mound after two months on the minor league injured list following his own shutdown period.
Sykora did not, however, get an MRI after first experiencing symptoms, according to multiple sources. That test was finally performed recently after the right-hander wasn’t showing signs of progress, with the results showing he actually had suffered a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament.
Surgery to reconstruct the ligament is now scheduled to take place in two weeks.
The Nationals used their third-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft on Sykora, who was considered one of the top high school pitching prospects in the country but was expected to honor his commitment to the University of Texas. The club managed to convince him to turn pro instead with a $2.6 million signing bonus, far above the designated slot value and more in line with what a late first-round pick would have received.
Sykora proceeded to dominate the lower minor leagues, going 5-3 with a 2.33 ERA, 0.906 WHIP and 129 strikeouts in only 85 innings last season at Single-A Fredericksburg. He did so while dealing with a hip ailment that required surgery over the winter.
His 2025 debut delayed while he rehabbed, the 6-foot-6 hurler began pitching in early May and showed no ill effects from the hip issue, going 3-1 with a 1.79 ERA, 0.772 WHIP and 79 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings at four levels of the minors, reaching Double-A in late June. He was selected to represent the team at the All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta but had to skip the event after the arm injury cropped up a week prior.
Now the Nationals must contemplate a 2026 rotation that won’t include one of the organization’s best young arms, one currently rated the 24th best prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
“He’s a guy that’s going to be – in the future, when he recovers – he’s going to be one of the main starters with the Nationals,” interim manager Miguel Cairo said. “But it’s always sad to hear someone is going to get Tommy John. We just hope and wish for a quick recovery.”