Twins starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco will opt for surgery to repair the injured right ankle that has kept him off the mound for the last month.
The right-hander sought another opinion on the ankle last week, when he met with orthopedist Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, North Carolina. Anderson, an expert in foot and ankle injuries, reportedly expressed more concern about the bone fragment in Nolasco’s ankle than other physicians had.
But there was no word on what Nolasco would do following his meeting until Monday, when Twins general manager Terry Ryan spoke to reporters.
Ricky Nolasco will undergo ankle surgery on Monday, and there's no timetable for his return, Terry Ryan said
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) July 7, 2015
Nolasco, 32, has been on the disabled list since June 4. He is in the second year of a four-year $49 million contract. On the season, Nolasco was 5-1 with a 5.51 earned run average in seven starts before the injury.
While no timeline has been established for Nolasco, last week reports noted that it could he could be out up to six months if surgery was required.
Despite those reports, ESPN 1500 reports that some are optimistic Nolasco could return near the end of the regular season.
But Ryan told reporters he didn’t know at this point.
“I have never dealt with something like this, with any player we’ve ever had,” Ryan said. “This little fragment in his foot that doesn’t allow him to push off [the mound].”
