A week after hitting the injured list because of a right elbow impingement, Ryan Tepera underwent surgery that’s expected to sideline him for at least a month.
The right-hander announced the news on his Twitter account Wednesday, promising to return at full strength.
Tepera has dealt with bone spurs for a while, but when the Blue Jays placed him on the injured list Tuesday, they expressed some concern that he’d need to have loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow. At the time, he was slated to visit Dr. David Altchek to determine next steps.
While the Blue Jays have yet to provide a timeline for Tepera’s return, manager Charlie Montoyo pointed to Nathan Eovaldi as a relevant reference point last week. The Red Sox starter hasn’t pitched since April 17 after having loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow, and he’s now nearing a return to action.
Elbow pain initially sidelined Tepera in late March, but he returned to pitch in 12 games. He wasn’t at his sharpest, allowing eight earned runs over 11 innings while walking six and striking out nine.
On May 21, the Blue Jays placed him on the injured list after he told team trainers that his elbow didn’t feel right.
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