MLB Draft 2014: Reports suggest Brady Aiken has elbow ligament injury

Jon Heyman breaks news today that 2014 No. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken has an elbow ligament injury and that's the reason his deal with the Astros has been held up.

According to Heyman:

Left-hander Brady Aiken is said to have an issue with his elbow ligament, causing the Astros to lower their offer and delaying the deal between the Astros and the No. 1 pick that seemed about to happen almost two weeks ago, sources told CBSSports.com.

The Astros are offering to do a deal for about $5 million now, according to sources, about $1.5 million less than the originally agreed-upon $6.5 million, sources say.

Elbow ligament issue? That could mean Tommy John surgery. Of course, 2012 draftee Lucas Giolito needed Tommy John surgery before he was picked by the Nationals and is now one of the top 10 prospects in the game. So, this isn't a death knell for Aiken's prospect status.

It also explains the hold-up. This is a pretty significant issue that the Astros are obviously trying to protect themselves from. They still like Aiken and want him in the system, but it also suggests that Luhnow's comments about Aiken pitching on a limited basis this season could have been informed by this physical.

If there's any good news, it's that more money savings means more money to entice Mac Marshall away from LSU. Not that it's going to happen, but we have to find some silver lining in this cloud, don't we?