It’s official: Giants closer Brian Wilson will have Tommy John surgery on his injured right elbow Thursday and is out for the season.
Renowned elbow surgeon Dr. James Andrews, who performed Wilson’s first Tommy John procedure in 2003, will perform the surgery at the Andrews Clinic in Pensacola, Fla., with the club’s own orthopedist, Dr. Ken Akizuki, assisting.
Wilson has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament, which has generally required a full year of recuperation and rehabilitation. With that in mind, manager Bruce Bochy said he hopes to see Wilson back on the mound within that time frame.
“From what I understand, a second one could take a little longer,” Bochy said. “But it’s not like there’s a large sample size to show that, so hopefully all will go well and Brian will be back pitching next year.”
Trainer Dave Groeschner reiterated the Giants’ position regarding whether anything could have been done differently with Wilson’s spring preparation. He said up to the point of the injury Thursday in Denver, everything was looking good for the 30-year-old right-hander.
“He was feeling great,” Groeschner said. “We had a plan in place this spring, and he followed it. Every time we talked to the coaches, they said he looked good. It wasn’t like anyone was concerned watching him pitch. He looked good. He he told me he felt good, so we did everything we could, and Brian did everything he could.”
