The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced that Vicente Padilla will undergo surgery on his right forearm on Thursday and will be out indefinitely. The procedure is to “free a radial nerve entrapped by a muscle” in the pitcher’s throwing arm. It’s unclear exactly how much time Padilla will miss -- it depends how severe the nerve damage is -- but Eric Gagne had similar surgery in June of 2005 and was sidelined the remainder of the season.
Vicente Padilla To Undergo Surgery On Right Forearm, Out Indefinitely
The Dodgers sent Padilla to L.A. on Tuesday to have his arm examined -- he suffered nerve discomfort during a Sunday bullpen session, the same nerve problem that forced him to miss two months last season. In 2010, he managed just 16 starts, posting a 6-5 record with a 4.07 ERA in the process.
The same forearm pain was there during last year’s Spring Training and opted to try and pitch through it. But on April 22, in his fourth start of the regular season, the pain grew so severe that Padilla couldn’t move his arm.
Padilla, 33, signed an incentive-heavy, one-year deal ($2 million base salary) to stay with the Dodgers for the 2011 season.
Check with True Blue LA for more on Padilla and all things Dodgers.
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