Unless you’ve walked in similar shoes, understanding what the past two months have been like for former Georgia pitcher Ryan Webb is difficult to comprehend.

Having your year ended with three weeks to go in the regular season due to an elbow injury resulting in Tommy John surgery is hard enough.

But compound that that with the knowledge that the Major League Draft was just around the corner, Webb acknowledged he was more than a little bit anxious.

After all, his name was just starting to rise up the list in many of the mock drafts. But with the injury, would any of the 30 big league teams still be willing to give Webb the opportunity to live out his professional dreams?

Thankfully, the Cleveland Indians were undeterred, selecting Webb on Monday in the fourth round with the 125th overall pick.

“When I found out that I was going to Cleveland, that was one team I circled where I could take my game to the next level,” Webb said of the Indians. “Just the meetings that I had with them, they planned out, they mapped out, everything that I would do with recovery from my Tommy John surgery. They watched my pitching, the things that I do; we talked about the rehab process down to what I would do in physical therapy and the throwing process.

“They were so detailed in everything we talked about over our Zoom meetings, and they seemed like they really, really cared. That’s super- important, so when I heard my name called by Cleveland, I could not have been more excited.”

Webb, at 6-foot-1 and 202-pounds, made 55 appearances with 18 starts in his four-year Bulldog career. He tallied a 7-9 mark with six saves and a 3.60 ERA.

A 2021 preseason first team All-America selection, his senior year was delayed due to Covid, and then it ended three weeks before the regular season concluded due to his elbow injury.

Webb had moved to a starting role in 2021 and made 11 starts, going 3-4 with a 3.32 ERA. He registered a team-high 82 strikeouts and just 17 walks in 59.2 innings. One of his finest starts in 2021 came at top-ranked Vanderbilt and against No. 2 overall pick Jack Leiter, when he struck out a career-high 13 batters in six innings—though he got a no-decision, leaving the game when it was tied 1-1.

Despite the injury, Webb departs Georgia with no regrets.

“It’s been an absolute roller coaster. Thinking about last year, going unselected, sitting down with Coach (UGA pitching coach Sean) Kenny and him saying this will be the best decision you’ve ever made for yourself, and I truly believe going back to school was the best decision I ever made,” Webb said. “I got better; I got to learn from Coach Kenny more, I got more experience, and I think I grew more as an individual, not just on the field but off the field. I feel more mature, I feel more responsible, and I could not have gone to a better organization than Cleveland. I could not think of a better fit for me.”

The Indians apparently appreciate SEC arms.

Along with Webb, Cleveland also selected Ole Miss ace Doug Nickhazy, along with the Florida trio of Tommy Mace, Jack Leftwich, and Franco Aleman.

Cleveland director of amateur scouting Scott Barnsby told Indians.com the decision to select Webb was not a difficult one to make, despite the injury to his elbow.

“We expect him to go through the typical Tommy John rehab progression which, my understanding is that can be anywhere from 12 to 18 months. I don't know specifically, but I do know the medical staff is obviously well- equipped to handle this,” Barnsby said. “What I do know is the type of kid he is, he's going to work extremely hard to get back. He's really competitive. And like I said, he'd made a jump [with] his stuff this year, and that was a tribute to the work that he put in. And we expect him to tackle the rehab process the same way."

Webb said he’s already making progress since his surgery six weeks ago.

“It’s going great. I’m just over six weeks out. I got out of my brace, so now I can move my arm around fully,” he said. “I have just about all my range of motion back, I’m able to comb my hair and do all that stuff again, so it’s been good.”

Although there's no specific timeline for when Webb will be able to get back on the mound, the former Bulldog will not be rushed.

“The good thing with the Indians, it’s whenever you're ready. They told me we’re going to go step by step, and when we feel like you’re ready, we’ll go as we go. There’s no set timeline or anything. It’s going to be, hey, this is what we’ve got, and as long as you’re moving forward, that’s the timeline,” Webb said. “I have zero doubts Cleveland isn’t going to do everything that they can to get me healthy, and I’ll do everything I can to be back better than I was before, because that’s just who I am. I feel I’ve got that internal fire in me.”