Twins pitcher Ricky Nolasco will get another opinion on his injured right ankle.
According to the Pioneer Press, Nolasco will meet with Dr. Robert Anderson on Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Anderson is the team orthopedist for the Carolina Panthers and is considered to be a leading expert in the field.
The newspaper notes that Anderson is probably best known for operating on several NFL players who have dealt with a midfoot or Lisfranc injury.
Ricky Nolasco is set to get another opinion on his right ankle, Molitor said.
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) June 29, 2015
Recovery from the injury can range from six to eight weeks if surgery isn’t required or as long as six months if it is.
Nolasco is in the second year of a four-year, $49 million contract. He is 5-1 with a 5.51 earned run average in seven starts this season. But the 32-year-old right hander hasn’t started a game for the Twins since May 31.
According to the Pioneer Press, it’s the second outside specialist Nolasco has seen about his ankle. He has had persistent pain when pushing off the pitching rubber.
Nolasco suffered his most recent setback last week, after throwing a bullpen session on Friday with orthotic inserts.
“We can’t seem to find the solution to get him coming back in the right direction,” Twins manager Paul Molitor told reporters last week.
Nolasco has been on the disabled list since June 4. If he is able to get healthy, the club may have some decisions to make with the starting rotation. Ervin Santana is set to make his return to the rotation on July 5 when his 80-game suspension is over.
