ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Jeffrey Springs will have season-ending Tommy John surgery on Monday.
Rays manager Kevin Cash made the announcement before Saturday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. Springs was moved from the 15- to the 60-day injured list.
Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister, who specializes in the elbow ligament replacement procedure, will operate.
“Devastating, honestly,” Springs said. “It’s kind of hard to believe that my season is already over. Still honestly, I’m trying to process it myself.”
The 30-year-old Springs went 2-0 with an 0.56 ERA during the Rays’ 13-0 start.
The lefty departed after throwing two pitches in the fourth inning on April 13 against Boston. He threw a 79.8 mph changeup and a 83.5 mph slider to Justin Turner, then looked at his hand and elbow. His injury was initially diagnosed as ulnar nerve inflammation.
“What I felt was just in the forearm, the fingers, I didn’t feel anything really in the elbow, nothing popped, anything like that,” Springs said. “It was just kind of a numb feeling, almost like a funny bone sensation. When I threw the pitch when they came out there, it kind of shot down the forearm but I just thought maybe it is a nerve.”
Springs went 9-5 with a 2.46 ERA in 33 games, including 25 starts, last season, his first in the Rays’ rotation. He signed a $31 million, four-year contract in January.
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