Rockies right-handed relief pitcher Scott Oberg underwent surgery on Thursday night to treat a recurrence of blood clots in his right elbow that have kept him out of Major League action since August 2019. It is his fourth bout with the condition.
The surgery, performed at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., will likely end the career of Oberg, whose 259 games are the most of any Rockies pitcher since he debuted in 2015.
Oberg, 30, was one of the Majors’ top relievers in 2018 and ‘19 before the condition, which first flared in ‘18, returned and ended his season. Oberg was seemingly close to a comeback last August when the condition flared again.
In September, Oberg underwent surgery at the University of Pennsylvania for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The hope was that by having doctors remove the top rib on his right side, some of the constriction that led to the clots would subside.
This spring, Oberg made four scoreless appearances, the last on Monday. Oberg had four strikeouts, hit one batter and held opponents to two hits across his four innings this spring, and he appeared to be moving toward being healthy enough to start the season. But then the flareup occurred Thursday night.
In 2018 and ’19, Oberg went 14-2 with a 2.35 ERA in 105 appearances. His ERA is fifth lowest among pitchers with at least 100 innings since ’18. Oberg’s 3.85 ERA is seventh lowest in club history among pitchers with at least 200 innings.