Twins righthander Nick Blackburn chances of making the Opening Day roster have been dashed after the Twins announced that he will have surgery to repair a ligament in his right wrist on Wednesday at the Mayo Clinic.

Blackburn will have the wrist in a cast for about six weeks, then he will need time to rehab before he can begin throwing. Blackburn, who will make $5.5 million in 2013, had a good shot at making the Opening Day rotation given his history of pitching well in spring training.

Blackburn just had surgery at the end of last season to remove a bone chip from his elbow, and he's had wrist problems in the past.

Despite Blackburn's injury, the Twins aren't expected to look for pitching help. Plus they have a whopping 34 pitchers already lined up to come to camp this year.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, during a winter caravan stop in Owatonna on Monday, revealed that Blackburn was injured and would miss some time.

UPDATE: This will Blackburn's fourth surgery since the end of the 2010 season. He had bone spurs removed in 2010, surgery to free an entrapped nerve in 2011 and a bone chip removed last October. Minor surgeries, but they've added up to being a major headache for Blackburn.