Indians pitching prospect Hector Rondon undergoes Tommy John surgery

Last season Hector Rondon emerged as one of Cleveland’s best pitching prospects by posting a 3.38 ERA and 137/29 K/BB ratio in 146 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, but he followed that up with an 8.53 ERA in 32 innings at Triple-A before being shut down in mid-May and yesterday he underwent Tommy John elbow surgery. That certainly explains his awful performance at Triple-A, but also means Rondon will be sidelined for the next 12-18 months and may miss the entire 2011 season. He had been viewed as a possible mid-rotation option who was close to MLB-ready, so it’s a tough break for the 22-year-old right-hander.