Friday, August 27, 2010

Strasburg to undergo Tommy John surgery

WASHINGTON -- Rookie right-hander Stephen Strasburg has a significant tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and will likely undergo Tommy John surgery, the Nationals announced in a conference call on Friday.

Strasburg, who was originally placed on the disabled list because of a flexor strain in his right forearm, had an arthrogram performed on Thursday to determine if something is seriously wrong, and doctors found ligament damage in the elbow.

"He is going to go out and attack his rehab and get ready to pitch better than he has in the past," general manager Mike Rizzo said.

Strasburg will seek a second opinion from Dr. Lewis Yocum in Southern California before the Nationals make a final decision on surgery. But the club believes that surgery is necessary. Strasburg is expected to be 100 percent in between 12 and 18 months.

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