MLB rumors: Yankees’ doctor signs off on Red Sox’s Nathan Eovaldi’s elbow

Boston Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is a free agent after dominating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2018 World Series. Several teams, including the New York Yankees, could chase the 28-year-old, who is two years removed from his second Tommy John surgery.

Boston Red Sox slugger Steve Pearce was the MVP of the 2018 World Series, but it was pitcher Nathan Eovaldi who single-handedly saved the pitching staff in the playoffs.

He made six postseason appearances, including four out of the bullpen. None was more memorable or more important than this six-inning stint in Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Red Sox lost the game in 18 innings, but Eovaldi’s gutsy performance was a motivating factor as Boston closed out the series in five games.

Throughout the playoffs, the 28-year-old Eovaldi regularly touched 100 mph on the radar gun. Not bad for a guy who was less than two years removed from his second Tommy John surgery.

And no one, including the Yankees, should have any concerns about signing Eovaldi in free agency, based on what New York team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad told NBC Sports Boston this week. Ahmad was the one who who operated on Eovaldi in 2016. The right-hander visited Ahmad on Tuesday for a routine visit, including an MRI.

“To me, he’s over Tommy John surgery and he’s over revision Tommy John surgery. And I would consider him in the same category of somebody who has a healthy arm, and whatever worry I have about that player, I have the same or less for Nate.

“His elbow, from his description, he had no symptoms whatsoever throughout 2018 once the season started,” Ahmad said. “His elbow felt great. Obviously, his velocity was there, so his performance and his ability to get guys out and his number of innings pitched was amazing. But from his description, he had no complaints at all. He felt great. 

“When I examined him, his motion was perfect. He had no features on examination that he had a compromise to his elbow. Nothing tender, nothing painful to stress. And we also performed an MRI scan to take pictures of his reconstructed ligament. His reconstructed ligament, even being a two-time reconstructed ligament, looked as perfectly healthy as could be. There was no signal changes in it. His bones around the ligament didn’t have any signal changes. 

“Sometimes subtle features can be picked up that the ligament’s acting a little weak, like small bone spurs forming often can be a sign that the ligament is a little loose or acting weak. Bone spurs form to compensate. No bone spurs. And even coming off an extended postseason, he didn’t have any muscle problems like muscle strain patterns. So essentially, his elbow checked out as well as it could be after having a second-time Tommy John surgery.”

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The Yankees parted ways with Eovaldi in 2016 following his surgery. He returned to the mound in 2018 for the Tampa Bay Rays, who traded him to Boston before the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.