Kenta Maeda will need to have elbow surgery, and he excepts it to be the dreaded Tommy John procedure. Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

Kenta Maeda expects he will need Tommy John surgery

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 8/28/21

Kenta Maeda’s season is over for the Minnesota Twins. But it remains to be seen whether he will also be out for all of next season.

Maeda is scheduled to undergo elbow surgery on his pitching arm on Wednesday in Dallas. It won’t be until the surgery is underway that the doctor will determine the extent of the surgery necessary. A Tommy John procedure is a possibility. Maeda expects that is what he will end up needing.

Kenta Maeda said he expects it’ll end up being Tommy John surgery. But, if he’s lucky and there’s not as much damage, his elbow surgery could wind up with a shorter rehab time. #MNTwins

— danhayesmlb (@DanHayesMLB) August 28, 2021

If Maeda needs Tommy John surgery, his recovery period would keep him out for all of next season. If he doesn’t need the procedure, he could be back much sooner.

The 33-year-old pitcher is in his second season with the Twins after being traded there by the Dodgers. He went 6-5 with a 4.66 ERA this season while pitching hurt. When he was healthy last season, Maeda went 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting.

Maeda still has two years and $6.25 million left on his deal.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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