Right-hander Charlie Morton underwent surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow today. The surgery, most commonly known as Tommy John, was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, FL.
The recovery period for this type of surgery is typically 12-18 months.
Chris Mueller of 93.7 the fan was the first to report that Morton may need to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery early this morning. Dejan Kovacevic of the Trib also confirmed the report. Morton felt discomfort in his elbow while throwing a bullpen session on Sunday.
Morton was placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 1 with right elbow inflammation following his four run, four inning outing — which was his shortest outing of the season — on May 30 against Cincinnati.
After posting a 2.65 ERA over his first three starts in April, Morton has a posted a 5.70 ERA after his eighth start of the season on Tuesday at PNC Park against Cincinnati. He also saw a decline in velocity, with his sinker averaging 90.0 mph in May, where last May it averaged 91.8 mph.
Morton was coming off a solid 2011 season when he posted a career-best 3.83 ERA over a team-leading 171.2 innings. The right-hander was throwing on flat ground as recent as this weekend.
