Twins pitching prospect Kyle Gibson received a second opinion on his right elbow injury Tuesday from Dr. David Altcheck, the same doctor who performed Joe Nathan's Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery.
According to Twins General Manager Bill Smith, Altcheck recommended that Gibson continue his rehab program and then be re-evaluated at a later point, basically confirming what Twins doctors had recommended.
The Twins diagnosed Gibson with a strained flexor muscle and a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. It's still very possible that Gibson will have Tommy John surgery. Basically, there's about a two-month window here because whether Gibson has surgery now or in the fall, he's still going to miss all of 2012.
Meanwhile, there's a chance -- albeit small -- that Gibson can recover without surgery, something the Braves saw happen with pitching prospect Arodys Vizcaino.
Gibson, 23, was considered a strong candidate for the Twins 2012 starting rotation before going down with the injury.
