Rockies’ right-handed substitute pitcher Scott Oberg underwent surgery on Thursday night to treat a recurrence of blood clots in his right elbow that has kept him out of Major League action since August 2019. It is his fourth fight against the disease.
The surgery, performed at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, is likely to end Oberg’s career, whose 259 games are the maximum of any Rockies pitcher since his debut in 2015.
Oberg, 30, was one of the Majors’ best appeasers in 2018 and 19 before the condition, which first appeared in 18, returned and ended his season. Oberg was apparently close to a comeback last August, when the condition worsened again.
In September, Oberg underwent surgery at the University of Pennsylvania for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The hope was that, by asking doctors to remove the upper rib on the right side, part of the constriction that caused the clots to subside.
This spring, Oberg made four goalless matches, the last on Monday. Oberg had four eliminations, hit a hitter and held his opponents to two hits in his four starts this spring, and he seemed to be preparing to be healthy enough to start the season. But then the outbreak occurred on Thursday night.
In 2018 and 19, Oberg went 14-2 with an ERA of 2.35 in 105 appearances. His ERA is the fifth lowest among pitchers with at least 100 entries since ’18. Oberg’s 3.85 ERA is the seventh lowest in the club’s history among pitchers with at least 200 entries.