Aaron Barrett fractures elbow during Tommy John surgery rehab

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals

July 24, 2016, 9:00am

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Aaron Barrett, who was hoping to be in the final stages of rehab from Tommy John surgery and perhaps rejoin the Nationals bullpen before season's end, instead will be forced to undergo another major surgery Monday after fracturing his right elbow.

Details of Barrett's latest injury weren't made public, but the Nationals said the 28-year-old reliever is scheduled to meet with orthopedist James Andrews on Monday. Andrews will repair the fractured elbow and evaluate the state of Barrett's reconstructed ulnar collateral ligament.

Andrews performed Barrett's ligament replacement surgery on Sept. 3, 2015, also removing several bone chips and shaving down a bone spur that had developed in the elbow. At the time, Barrett was hopeful of a 12-month rehab process, which could have made him available to the Nationals for the final month of this season.

He had been rehabbing at the club's spring training complex in Viera, Fla., but had yet to begin pitching in games for a minor league affiliate.

A ninth-round pick in the 2010 draft, Barrett burst onto the scene in 2014 as a rookie and became a trusted member of ex-manager Matt Williams' bullpen, posting a 2.66 ERA in 50 games and appearing in two postseason games. Barrett struggled last season, though, racking up a 4.60 ERA in 40 games before finally letting club officials know his arm hurt.