Prep Righthander Joe Perez To Have Tommy John surgery

UPDATE: Perez underwent successful Tommy John surgery on June 13.

Archbishop McCarthy High (Southwest Ranches, Fla.) righthander Joe Perez will have Tommy John surgery after partially tearing his ulnar collateral ligament, Baseball America learned Monday.

Perez previously dealt with shoulder tendinitis this spring and shut things down on the mound for a few weeks before returning to the mound on May 6, where he touched 99 mph and settled in the low-to-mid 90s for the rest of his outing.

Perez is the No. 99 prospect on the 2017 Baseball America 500, offering high upside thanks to premium fastball velocity. His surgery—which will be performed on June 13 by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla.—clouds his draft stock, but the Miami commit has also been extremely impressive as a hitter this spring, and some teams could be interested in him as a corner infielder as well as a pitcher.

If Perez decides to enroll at Miami, he will be ready to contribute as a designated hitter as a freshman.