Former Virginia ace Danny Hultzen eyes comeback as he agrees to terms with the Chicago Cubs

The Danny Hultzen comeback is on! The former Virginia ace has “agreed to terms” with the Chicago Cubs, despite not having pitched since his second arm surgery in 2016.

Hultzen was selected second overall by the Seattle Mariners in the 2011 draft. A surgery in 2013 to repair his rotator cuff, shoulder capsule, and labrum came after a solid year in Triple-A in Tacoma, WA (2.05 ERA, 34 strikeouts in just over 30 innings) and kept him out in 2014.

Injury issues persisted, leading to a second surgery in 2016 that effectively ended his career. “It’s just a setback,’’ Hultzen told the Seattle Times before his second surgery. “It’s obviously super-frustrating, because I’ve been doing everything I can. That’s the way I’m looking at it. I know I’m doing everything I can, and whatever happens is going to happen. I’m not going to look back and say I wish I’d done something more, because I know I’m doing everything I can.”

Hultzen returned to Charlottesville and UVA to finish his bachelor’s degree. He’s been working out at Virginia’s facilities in an effort to get a second shot at the MLB, and thanks to the Cubs (and their minor-league pitching coordinator Terry Clark), he’s got one.

Hultzen finished his career at Virginia with a 2.08 ERA with 395 strikeouts and a 32-5 record. Good luck, Danny!