After 2nd opinion, Pineda to have TJ surgery

MINNEAPOLIS — Michael Pineda will have Tommy John surgery Tuesday in Cincinnati and what the righthander’s future holds is uncertain.

After being examined by Yankees team doctor Chris Ahmad last week, Pineda was told he required the surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Monday, Pineda received a second opinion from Dr. Timothy Kremchek, the Reds’ physician, and Kremchek agreed.

The surgery takes 12-18 months to recover from, but there is no guarantee that even after 18 months the arm will be ready for major league action.

It will be the second major surgery for the 28-year-old. Pineda didn’t pitch in the big leagues in 2012 and 2013 — the first two years after he was acquired from the Mariners — following right shoulder surgery.

Since Pineda is eligible for free agency, it will be interesting to see how many teams, including the Yankees, want to essentially invest two years in him. His age, at times electric stuff, and ability to throw strikes and miss bats, will make him attractive to teams looking at him as an investment in the future.

Pineda went 8-4 with a 4.39 ERA in 17 starts this season when early it appeared he was finally going to shed the inconsistences that kept him from being a front-end starter.

In Pineda’s first dozen games this season, he was 7-3 with a 3.39 ERA and made up for staff ace Masahiro Tanaka’s miserable start. In 96 ¹/3 innings Pineda gave up 103 hits and struck out 92.

However, in five starts from June 14July 5, Pineda went 1-1 with a 7.30 ERA and allowed 39 hits in 24 2/3 innings. An indication he was injured was that he recorded just 17 strikeouts in those frames. In Pineda’s career, he has fanned 687 in 680 innings.