Twins righthander Mike Pelfrey on Tuesday had surgery to alleviate pressure on his ulnar nerve and will miss several weeks, possibly the season.
The Twins said that recovery time is anywhere from two to four months, depending on the individual.
The good news is that his ulnar collateral ligament, which was replaced on 2012, is fine. The problem was that scar tissue from that procedure was pressing up against the nerve, leading to problems.
Pelfrey felt tingling in his fingers going back to spring training, but didn't think it was a big deal and did not notify the training staff of the development. But the velocity on his fastball, as high as 95 miles an hour last season, was down to the low 90's once the season started. After going 0-3 with a 7.99 ERA in five starts, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a groin strain and sent to Class AAA Rochester for a rehabilitation assignment.
He as 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA at Rochester but said his velocity dropped to 86-90. That's when Pelfrey decided to have it looked at, so he went to Pensacola, Fla., on Monday to be examined by noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who preformed Tommy John surgery on him in 2012.
That's when the decision was made to have today's procedure.
Outfielder Aaron Hicks tried throwing during early batting practice today and his right shoulder is still bugging him.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he'll give Hicks one more day to improve. If he doesn't, Hicks could be placed on the DL and sent back to the Twin Cities for an exam. Hicks injured the shoulder while diving for a ball during the ninth inning of Sunday's loss to Houston.
