Nationals' Top Pitching Prospect To Undergo Tommy John surgery within 2 weeks

The Washington Nationals are dealing with the news that their top pitching prospect will require Tommy John surgery.

The team announced Monday that right-hander Travis Sykora will have the procedure performed on his right ulnar collateral ligament.

MLB Pipeline lists the 21-year-old Sykora as the top overall player in the Nationals’ farm system, ranked No. 24 in the nation. He was selected by the Nationals in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Round Rock (Texas) High School. and likely miss the entire 2025 season.

Sykora most recently was assigned to Double-A Harrisburg. After recovery from offseason hip surgery, Sykora began the season with two starts at the rookie Florida Complex League, then two starts with Single-A Fredericksburg. He was promoted to High-A Wilmington and earned his way to Harrisburg.

The reconstructive surgery will take place in two weeks, announced Jessica Camerato of MLB.com.

Nationals announce RHP Travis Sykora underwent an MRI, revealed a torn UCL. Sykora, ranked as the Nationals No. 1 prospect, will undergo UCL reconstruction in two weeks. @MLBPipeline
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) July 28, 2025

In his four stops of 2025, Sykora is 3-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 12 games. He has struck out 79 batters in 45.1 innings, walking 17. Opponents are hitting .120 against him.

The 6-foot-6, 232-pound prospect is expected to miss at least one year of action.

Here is what MLB Pipeline said about Sykora and his time in the minor leagues, starting with Fredericksburg in his first pro season last year:

“[He] was one of the Minors’ most dominant pitchers [in 2024]. His 39.2 percent strikeout rate and 20.8 percent swinging-strike rate were both tops among 551 Minor Leaguers with at least 80 innings, and he also finished with a 2.33 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and .167 average against over 85 frames in the Carolina League.

“Checking in at 6-foot-6, Sykora starts his delivery with a big leg kick, getting his left knee almost up to his shoulder before getting down the hill with solid extension. After throwing harder as a showcase pitcher, the right-hander settled in around the 93-96 mph range with his fastball as a professional, and there’s hope he could add another tick with more pro strength training. It was good enough to buzz past Single-A hitters in the top of the zone in 2024, and a mid-80s splitter played well off it with low spin and sufficient fade.”

The Nationals are rebuilding and had been counting on Sykora to progress this season toward becoming a member of their starting rotation at some point in 2026. Their timeline has been pushed back by at least one year now.

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