MN Twins Young Starter Gets Grim Diagnosis

As a Minnesota sports fan you know that destiny is for nice things to not exist. There was a time that the Minnesota Twins believed they had built a quality starting rotation due in large part to its depth. That fizzled quickly this year, and they have been running on fumes for a while.

Pablo Lopez missed significant time as the staff axe, and plenty of other expected contributors have been out as well. Young starter David Festa was recently pulled off of his rehab assignment. The new assessment of his injury is horrendous.

David Festa dealing with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

For a long time Tommy John surgery was a dreaded outcome for pitchers. Now that’s so common it’s almost welcomed just to get it out of the way. Shoulder injuries are far more damaging, and among the worst is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. David Festa just received that diagnosis.

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If TOS sounds familiar, that’s because it basically ended former Twins pitcher Phil Hughes’ career. The Mayo Clinic defines Thoracic Outlet Syndrome as “Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a group of conditions in which there’s pressure on blood vessels or nerves in the area between the neck and shoulder. This space is known as the thoracic outlet. Compression of the blood vessels and nerves can cause shoulder and neck pain. It also can cause numbness in the fingers.”

Shoulder and neck pain, as well as finger numbness, is basically the perfect recipe to destroy a baseball player. An inability to have feel for the ball, or utilize key body parts in order to compete, is a crushing reality.

A study was done back in 2022 to dissect the correlation between TOS rib resection (the surgery to alleviate the issue, basically removing a rib from the body) and future performance. The injury is rare among pitchers, and therefore limits potential data. However, while return-to-play rates are strong, a decline in career length and effectiveness is notable.

Some recent success stories that have come back from the injury include Merrill Kelly, Alex Cobb, and Frankie Montas. Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was diagnosed with TOS last month.

Quite possibly the most damaging aspect of this situation for Festa is that he is both young, and has yet to see success. The 25-year-old has just 117 2/3 innings under his belt. He owns a 5.12 ERA (4.27 FIP) and has yet to substantiate himself at the big league level.

Festa will now miss substantial time on the mound, and from a development perspective as well. He is seeking a second opinion before undergoing surgery, but this may forever alter the trajectory of his career.

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MN Twins Young Starter Gets Grim Diagnosis

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