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Los Angeles Dodgers closer Eric Gagne will miss six to eight weeks after having surgery Friday to remove a nerve from his pitching elbow.
The operation -- the second for Gagne in less than a year -- lasted 30 minutes and was performed by Dr. Frank Jobe and Dr. Ralph Gambardella of the team's medical staff in Los Angeles.
"I think it's good news," Jobe said on a conference call. "He'll begin throwing a ball in three weeks, and in six weeks, get in a game. Those are guesses, a week one way or the other. I don't think it will be longer than six to eight weeks."
The nerve that was removed was the same one that was moved during a 2005 season-ending operation June 24.
A near-unanimous winner of the NL Cy Young Award in 2003, Gagne saved 152 games from 2002-04. The 30-year-old right-hander went 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and eight saves in eight chances while appearing in 14 games last season.
Gagne didn't pitch in the Dodgers' first three games this year, sitting out an 11-10 season-opening loss Monday to Atlanta in a game Los Angeles never led, and serving a two-game suspension after that.
Removing the nerve will allow Gagne to pitch without pain, but he'll experience numbness on the skin along the anterior side of his forearm.
"I think that's better than having a jingle every time he throws," Jobe said. "He said the jingle was getting worse and it made him jump when he throws."
Danys Baez, a proven closer acquired from Tampa Bay during the offseason, will fill Gagne's role. Baez saved a career-high 41 games last season and pitched a scoreless ninth for a save in the team's first victory of the season, a 5-4 win over Atlanta on Tuesday night.
Gagne is earning $10 million this year and Baez is earning $4 million. Both are eligible for free agency after the season.
Gagne first told trainer Stan Johnston on Wednesday that he had been pitching in pain all spring. The problem was diagnosed during an examination by Gambardella after that -- while the Dodgers were playing the Braves in the finale of the three-game series.
The right-hander pitched in 10 exhibition games, allowing five earned runs. He didn't seem to have any problems, but his velocity was down from his best days.
His last outing was Friday night in an exhibition game against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Dodgers purchased the contract of 36-year-old right-hander Takashi Saito from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Gagne. Outfielder Jayson Werth was moved to the 60-day disabled list.
Saito agreed to a minor league contract with the Dodgers in February. He spent most of his 14-year career with the Yokohama Baystars in Japan's Central League, compiling an 87-78 record with 48 saves. Saito had a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings for the Dodgers during spring training.
Source: AP
The operation -- the second for Gagne in less than a year -- lasted 30 minutes and was performed by Dr. Frank Jobe and Dr. Ralph Gambardella of the team's medical staff in Los Angeles.
"I think it's good news," Jobe said on a conference call. "He'll begin throwing a ball in three weeks, and in six weeks, get in a game. Those are guesses, a week one way or the other. I don't think it will be longer than six to eight weeks."
The nerve that was removed was the same one that was moved during a 2005 season-ending operation June 24.
A near-unanimous winner of the NL Cy Young Award in 2003, Gagne saved 152 games from 2002-04. The 30-year-old right-hander went 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and eight saves in eight chances while appearing in 14 games last season.
Gagne didn't pitch in the Dodgers' first three games this year, sitting out an 11-10 season-opening loss Monday to Atlanta in a game Los Angeles never led, and serving a two-game suspension after that.
Removing the nerve will allow Gagne to pitch without pain, but he'll experience numbness on the skin along the anterior side of his forearm.
"I think that's better than having a jingle every time he throws," Jobe said. "He said the jingle was getting worse and it made him jump when he throws."
Danys Baez, a proven closer acquired from Tampa Bay during the offseason, will fill Gagne's role. Baez saved a career-high 41 games last season and pitched a scoreless ninth for a save in the team's first victory of the season, a 5-4 win over Atlanta on Tuesday night.
Gagne is earning $10 million this year and Baez is earning $4 million. Both are eligible for free agency after the season.
Gagne first told trainer Stan Johnston on Wednesday that he had been pitching in pain all spring. The problem was diagnosed during an examination by Gambardella after that -- while the Dodgers were playing the Braves in the finale of the three-game series.
The right-hander pitched in 10 exhibition games, allowing five earned runs. He didn't seem to have any problems, but his velocity was down from his best days.
His last outing was Friday night in an exhibition game against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Dodgers purchased the contract of 36-year-old right-hander Takashi Saito from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Gagne. Outfielder Jayson Werth was moved to the 60-day disabled list.
Saito agreed to a minor league contract with the Dodgers in February. He spent most of his 14-year career with the Yokohama Baystars in Japan's Central League, compiling an 87-78 record with 48 saves. Saito had a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings for the Dodgers during spring training.
Source: AP