News
Reyes undergoes two elbow surgeries
Procedures mean Tribe lefty will likely be out entire year
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
06/12/09 6:18 PM ET
CLEVELAND -- Anthony Reyes ended up getting a two-for-one special in surgery Friday. The downside to this particular special is that it ensures Reyes will not be ready for the start of the 2010 season. Reyes had an ulnar nerve transposition performed on his right elbow by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Anaheim, Calif. And in the course of this procedure, Yocum did indeed find it necessary to reconstruct Reyes' ulnar collateral ligament. While the first procedure would have cost Reyes four to six months before he'd be ready to throw again, the latter procedure -- commonly known as Tommy John surgery -- will keep Reyes out for a full year. The Indians had recommended the transposition procedure after a chronic elbow condition resulted in unbearable inflammation. Reyes visited Yocum last week for a second opinion, and he not only confirmed the Tribe's diagnosis but also braced Reyes for the possibility of Tommy John. Reyes had to consent to Yocum performing Tommy John if he discovered it was necessary, and that's just what happened in a three-hour procedure Friday. Reyes, acquired by the Indians in a trade with the Cardinals last summer, was 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA in eight starts this season. He went on the disabled list May 23.Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
