Blogs > Minor Matters

Run by The Trentonian's Nick Peruffo, this blog will provide daily multimedia coverage of the Trenton Thunder.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Manny Banuelos to have Tommy John surgery

Heard a tip this morning, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed it to me this morning: Manny Banuelos will have Tommy John surgery on Oct. 4. The surgery will be performed by Dr. James Andrews. 

This is obviously a terrible blow for Banuelos, who made just six starts this season, the last on May 18, before being shut down with the injury that eventually would lead to the surgery being ordered. 

All year long, the Yankees and Banuelos tried rehab to avoid the surgery. In the end, it didn't work. 

"Obviously (it was) failed rehab," Cashman said. "Sometimes you have to drill down, drill down until you get to the bottom of things. ... If we knew he'd needed Tommy John a year ago, he'd have had it a year ago."

Cashman said the surgery was agreed upon recently and was done through consultation between Andrews and Dr. Chris Ahmad, the team's orthopedist. 

Given that the recovery time for Tommy John surgery is usually close to a year, there's a good chance that Banuelos won't throw a pitch until at least next winter.