Following a consultation with long-time specialist Dr. Lewis Yocum, Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Josh Tomlin will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. The ligament-replacing procedure will be performed by Yocum on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
“It’s something that he needed to get done,” Indians manager Manny Acta said of the surgery, “in order for him to be able to compete the way he was able to compete in the past.”
The reported timetable for a full recovery is expected to be 12-18 months. It is believed that, in the event the team opts to bring Tomlin back as a relief pitcher, that he could return by August or September of 2013.
Tomlin has experienced on-and-off soreness over the last several years. The team feels that his regression from the 2011 season is largely due to the gradual deterioration of the player’s right elbow.
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