Barnegat's Jay Groome Makes 1st Start In Minors Since Tommy John

VENICE, FL — Former Barnegat High School star Jay Groome pitched a shutout inning Wednesday for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox. But it held greater significance than that. Groome made his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery 14 months ago.

Groome struck out two and allowed a hit against the GCL Braves. He completed the inning in only eight pitches.

The Red Sox selected Groome in the first round, 12th overall, in the 2016 MLB Draft.

Soxprospects.com, a fan-created website that details Red Sox prospects, said the following about Groome:

"Talent-wise, could easily be the system's top prosect, but injuries have cost him valuable reps. Projects as a solid number three starter with the ceiling of a high-end number two starter, but injury risk complicates that projection significantly."

Although it's tough to project with a young pitcher coming off surgery, soxprospects.com expects Groome in the majors by late 2022. He turns 21 on Friday.

Wednesday marked Groome's first game action since August 2017.

Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, also known as Tommy John Surgery, is a particularly common procedure in several sports, especially among pitchers.

Groome threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter in 2016 for Barnegat High School.

See video of that outing below:

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