Royals left-hander Kris Bubic to have Tommy John surgery, likely to miss season
Royals left-hander Kris Bubic’s season appeared to come to an end Friday when the team announced he’ll have ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction surgery on his elbow.
Typically, a player can return to full baseball activities following the procedure, which is known as Tommy John surgery, after 12 to 18 months.
The Royals placed Bubic on the 15-day injured list Sunday because of a left flexor strain injury, one day after his start against the Atlanta Braves.
Bubic’s velocity was down in that start and said he’d had forearm tightness “fairly early” in the day.
Earlier this week, Bubic sought a second opinion on the injury, and the recommendation was surgery.
Johns Hopkins Medicine notes this type of surgery is done to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament inside the elbow. The ligament is located on the inner side of the elbow and helps to secure the elbow joint.
A tendon from another part of the body (forearm, big toe or hamstring) is used to replace the damaged one in the elbow, John Hopkins said.
Bubic has an 0-2 record with a 3.94 ERA in three starts this season.
This story was originally published April 21, 2023 at 1:22 PM.
