The San Francisco Giants got some brutal news on their rotation this week. Trevor McDonald, the 25-year-old right-hander who'd carved out a real spot in the big league staff since early May, is headed for full Tommy John surgery. That means his season is done, and realistically so is most of 2027.
MLB Trade Rumors broke the news that McDonald will undergo the season-ending procedure.
This didn't come out of nowhere, but it also happened fast. McDonald left a start early after feeling something in his elbow warming up before the 5th inning, got shut down, and was placed on the 15-day IL with what doctors initially called a moderate UCL sprain. He reportedly sought a second opinion before the Giants and the pitcher settled on surgery with Dr. Keith Meister, one of the most trusted names in the business for these procedures.
The timeline stings. McDonald finishes his first extended big league season with a 5.12 ERA across 70 1/3 innings, numbers that aren't eye-popping but represent a rookie who'd locked down a rotation job on a competitive club. Tommy John recovery typically runs 12-14 months, and for pitchers that usually means losing the following season too, not just the current one. Barring setbacks, the expectation is McDonald doesn't pitch in a big league game again until Spring Training of 2028.
For the Giants, it's a depth hit they'll have to answer with internal call-ups or trade-deadline moves, and it's the kind of injury that quietly reshapes a season's second half more than any single loss does. For McDonald, it's the classic pitcher's gut-punch: you finally stick in a rotation, and your elbow says not so fast.