Fully recovered after Tommy John surgery, Edgar Santana ready to bolster Pirates' bullpen
BRADENTON, Fla. — Edgar Santana was more than 1,000 miles away from Pittsburgh last season, and that made it difficult on the Pirates relief pitcher.
Santana underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2018. He spent the majority of last year in Florida rehabbing his elbow at the Pirate City training facility.
“Sometimes I’d put the game on the TV, and I’d have to change the channel because I felt I like I should be there and I couldn’t be there,” Santana recalled recently at the Pirates spring training.
“It was hard. I wanted to watch the games and root for my teammates, but some nights I just couldn’t do it. I missed my teammates. One of my best friends is (right fielder Gregory) Polanco. It was tough when all my friends were there, and I was down here.”
Santana did have right-hander Chad Kuhl, who also was working his way back from Tommy John surgery, to keep him company. Yet while Santana was thankful he had someone to go through the rehab process with, it wasn’t the same as being on the active roster.
Especially after Santana had a fine rookie season in 2018, posting a 3.26 ERA in 69 games.
That figure was inflated from 2.71 because he gave up four runs without retiring a batter in his last appearance Sept. 21 against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park. It was the game in which Santana tore his ulnar collateral ligament.
A year earlier, Santana made his major league debut and had a 3.50 ERA in 18 games.
Not only was Santana pitching well in ’18, but then-manager Clint Hurdle was beginning to trust him in higher-leverage situations. It appeared the Dominican Republic native was on his way to becoming a key member of the Pirates bullpen.
“It was very frustrating,” Santana said. “I felt like I was really proving that I could be a good big-league pitcher, then I had the surgery, and it felt like I was back in rookie ball starting all over again.”
However, Santana is looking this spring like he is ready to pick up where he left off in 2018.
The 25-year-old has pitched five perfect innings over five Grapefruit League appearances, striking out four.
It is always worth mentioning spring training statistics rarely correlate to the regular season. Yet Santana’s strong comeback has been one of the more pleasant surprises of Pirates camp.
While Santana went through plenty of bouts of frustration and tedium last year, he believes he is a better pitcher for the experience.
“I know how to prepare myself better now,” Santana said. “My body is in better shape. My arm is in better shape. My (pitching) mechanics are better. I just feel a lot more prepared than I used to feel.
“I think I’m healthier now, too. So, some good came out of all the rehab.”
Despite being 25, there is reason to believe Santana has more upside than most pitchers his age.
The Pirates signed Santana as an international amateur free agent in 2013, just three days short of his 21st birthday.
That age is considered almost ancient for most Latin American amateurs, who are often signed when they are 16.
However, Santana promised his mother he would not sign a professional contract until he graduated from high school.
His mother hoped her son would go to college and become a teacher. Instead, he is a major league pitcher.
“Teaching is a good profession,” Santana said with a smile, “but I’d rather play baseball.”
John Perrotto is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.
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