Veteran left-hander Rich Hill will miss the start of next season after undergoing elbow surgery late last month, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Hill ranked 16th on our Top 50 Free Agents list.
Here's what Bradford says about Hill's surgery:
According to a major league source, Hill underwent Primary Revision surgery in late October and likely won't be able to compete until June with the possibility of pushing the timetable until after the All-Star break.
"Primary Revision" surgery is essentially a Tommy John surgery alternative. It repairs the ulnar collateral ligament and comes with a shorter rehab timetable, though not every player is a candidate for the procedure. It depends on the severity of the ligament tear. Hill was a candidate for the procedure, apparently.
Hill, 40 in March, missed roughly three months this past season with a flexor strain in his pitching arm. Flexor strains are common precursors to elbow problems and Tommy John surgery. Hill had Tommy John surgery way back in 2010, and he's had numerous other arm injuries throughout his career.
Given his age, Hill was always likely to sign a one-year contract this offseason, and now it's possible he won't sign at all until he gets healthy sometime next year. Rather than sign him now, teams could monitor his rehab, and target him as a rotation boost -- or even as a bullpen option -- next summer.
Hill pitched to a 2.45 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 13 starts and 58 2/3 innings around the flexor strain with the Dodgers this year. He started Game 4 of the NLDS and allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings while on a pitch limit. Hill had a 3.30 ERA in three full seasons with Los Angeles but never threw as many as 140 innings in a season.
