Scouting Report: Juan Mercedes
Chicago Cubs | SP
Overall
Summary
Juan Valera, a 19-year-old Red Sox RHP prospect, underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Tuesday after suffering an elbow injury during his third start of the 2026 season for High-A Greenville on April 16. Initially diagnosed as elbow inflammation, subsequent MRI imaging revealed the need for UCL reconstruction surgery performed by Dr. Jeffrey R. Dugas at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama. This marks the second consecutive season Valera has suffered an elbow injury, having missed three months in 2025 with elbow soreness. Prior to the injury, Valera was off to an impressive start with a 1.93 ERA, 17 strikeouts, and 4 walks over 9.1 innings in three starts. He was recently added to Baseball America's Top 100 Prospect list and demonstrated high velocity (101.7 mph fastball) with developing secondary pitches.
Strengths
- Impressive pre-injury performance with 1.93 ERA and 17 K in 9.1 IP
- High fastball velocity reaching 101.7 mph in upper-90s range
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