Rangers righty Hernandez has elbow surgery
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rangers righthander Jonathan Hernandez had ligament reconstruction surgery on his right elbow Monday, just less than two weeks after fellow reliever Jose Leclerc had the same procedure, and their bullpen will also be without hardthrowing Matt Bush until at least July.
Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said the Tommy John surgery on Hernandez was performed by team physician Dr. Keith Meister and went as expected. Both Hernandez and Leclerc will be sidelined until at least early in the 2022 season. Meister did Leclerc’s surgery on March 31.
Bush has a flexor strain in his right arm and will get an injection Tuesday, then wait six weeks before a follow-up MRI to determine if the righthander is ready to start throwing again.
Hernandez, 24, had a breakout 2020, when he was 5-1 with a 2.90 ERA in 27 appearances in the pandemic-shortened 60-game season. He had 31 strikeouts and eight walks in 31 innings, relying heavily on a sinker that averaged nearly 98 mph. He was shut down midway through spring training with what the team called a ligament sprain, and he decided to have the Tommy John surgery after a follow-up MRI last week.
Also, right-handed reliever Joely Rodriguez, slowed in spring training because of a left ankle injury during the offseason, is at the team’s alternate site in Round Rock and will start throwing in games this week.
Third baseman Brock Holt resumed baseball activity Monday, six days after straining his right hamstring in a game.
Outfielder-designated hitter Willie Calhoun (left groin strain) had been in games at their spring training site in Arizona, but now has gone to Round Rock, where he will start playing games this week after completing COVID-19 intake testing.