Braves officials say first-round draft pick Kolby Allard’s back surgery in September was a minor procedure that shouldn’t keep the left-hander out of spring training.
Allard was the 14th overall selection in the June draft, and some experts said he would've been selected considerably higher if not for concerns about a back injury – a stress fracture — that forced him to miss most of his senior season at San Clemente (Calif.) High School. He was projected by some scouts as the top high-school pitcher in the draft if not for the injury.
Allard, who turned 18 in August, received a $3.04 million signing bonus and provided a glimpse of his vast potential during three Gulf Coast rookie-league appearances late last summer, totaling 12 strikeouts in six innings with no walks and one hit allowed. He did not pitch in the team’s instructional league in the fall, and the Braves didn’t say why at the time.
When news of the back surgery first leaked, one website described it as a procedure to fuse two vertebrae. Braves officials said that report was erroneous and said the surgery was relatively minor. Braves general manager John Coppolella, citing HIPPAA rules regarding the privacy of health information, said he couldn’t discuss the procedure but that Allard was expected to be ready for spring training.
On his Twitter page Tuesday, Allard posted this: “To set the record straight I had one surgery on my back after the GCL season, in the beginning of September. That was my first surgery and the only one I’ve ever had and all other rumors out there are false. I am recovering quickly and will be ready for spring training. Can’t wait for a great season and go Braves!”
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