This is a message from the very beginning of May:
Cory Luebke Undergoing Tommy John Surgery
Cory Luebke will be pushed back one start; no MRI on elbow. Jeff Suppan to start tomorrow. Move after game. #Padres
— Dan Hayes (@NCTPadres) May 1, 2012
Padres starter Cory Luebke had some discomfort in his elbow, but it wasn’t a big deal. He’d just miss a start, and the Padres weren’t going to bother with an expensive exam. Luebke would be back soon, no problem.
You’ve read the headline already. Luebke will not be back soon. Shortly after that tweet, Luebke was placed on the DL with elbow soreness. Shortly after that, there were whispers of Tommy John surgery. Shortly after that, it was discovered that Luebke had a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. Luebke thought about rehab so as to avoid season-ending surgery, but attempted rehab doesn’t guarantee that one will avoid season-ending surgery, so Luebke’s settled on the season-ending surgery:
Cory Luebke to have reconstructive elbow surgery on Wednesday. #Padres
— Dan Hayes (@NCTPadres) May 21, 2012
As such, Luebke is done for 2012, and he probably won't pitch for the Padres until at least May 2013. Had Luebke tried to rehab and failed, it would've pushed him back even longer, so he's getting things taken care of now. It's a bummer, but, as always, Tommy John surgery isn't so daunting these days. It's a serious procedure and the rehab's a bitch, but Luebke should make it back in time.
A note on the state of things for the Padres: Jeff Suppan has started four games. Anthony Bass is helping to make up for the loss of Luebke by turning in what might be a breakthrough season, but Jeff Suppan has started four games.
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