Cards’ SS Furcal facing surgery on right elbow
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow next week.
The team did not say in its statement Thursday how long the three-time All-Star will be out. Noted orthpedist Dr. James Andrews examined Furcal on Wednesday and will perform the procedure.
The 35-year-old Furcal injured the elbow late last season. On March 3, the team told the three-time All-Star to stop baseball activity after a major setback in his rehabilitation from a torn ligament.
“It’s very disappointing,” Furcal said. “I worked so hard in the offseason to get everything straight, working hard with the doctors, the training team, we did anything we could do to get ready for spring training, ready for the season.”
Manager Mike Matheny said the team hoped Furcal returns as quickly as possible. General manager John Mozeliak said the Cardinals had confidence in Pete Kozma and Ronny Cedeno at shortstop.
“The way we look at it right now it is certainly going to be a competition between Kozma and Cedeno, but there’s no doubt that given what Kozma did for us in the last six weeks of the season last year that we so have a high level on confidence that he can continue to do that,” Mozeliak said.
Astros: Starter Philip Humber gave up one hit in four innings of a 4-2 win over the Nationals, and Jason Castro drove in the winning runs with an eighth-inning single off losing pitcher Ryan Mattheus. Humber, 30, who threw the 21st perfect game in big league history last April 22, took another solid step toward making the starting rotation in his second spring start.
“I’m still not where I want to be yet. I didn’t throw all that many breaking balls, but that’ll come,” Humber said. “We’re still pretty early, but I’m definitely pleased with what happened today.”
Brewers: General manager Doug Melvin spent three hours in an emergency room late Wednesday night after he was stung by an Arizona bark scorpion inside his spring training condominium. However, Melvin was back at work at the team complex Thursday.
World Baseball Classic: Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will start for the United State in its opener against Mexico in Pool D today in Scottsdale, Ariz. At 38, last year’s Cy Young winner for the Mets is the oldest player on the U. S. roster. Following roundrobin play, the top two teams advance to the second round next week in Miami.
■ Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run double off San Francisco Giants closer Sergio Romo in the ninth inning and Jason Grilli escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half to help Italy rally to beat Mexico 6-5 in the opening game of Pool D in Scottsdale, Ariz.