As expected, J.J. Putz will undergo surgery on his right elbow, according to WFAN. Putz will have surgery on Tuesday. It will likely keep him out for 8-10 weeks.
Update – 4:04 p.m.: Bart Hubbuch relays that Omar Minaya has now bumped it to 10 weeks minimum for Putz.
Putz, who was recently “demoted” to the 7th inning by Jerry Manuel, has been struggling with a bone spur in his elbow. He received a cortisone shot in his arm and pitched well after, but since that wore off, the results have been messy.
According to Kevin Burkhardt, Omar Minaya will address the media at 4 p.m. The team is currently touring Walter Reed Medical Center.
How appropriate.
As for who might replace him, Elmer Dessens is sporting a 1.29 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with Triple-A Buffalo. In 28 innings, he’s allowed 18 hits and four runs. He’s walked six and struck out 20.
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For more info on a bone spur, here’s my WebMD link for the day:
A bone spur forms as the body tries to repair itself by building extra bone. It generally forms in response to pressure, rubbing, or stress that continues over a long period of time.
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Bone spurs can be surgically removed or treated as part of a surgery to repair or replace a joint when osteoarthritis has caused considerable damage and deformity. Examples might include repair of a bunion or heel spur in the foot or removal of small spurs underneath the point of the shoulder.