Cory Gearrin to have season-ending elbow surgery

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

photo Cory Gearrin

ATLANTA - Atlanta Braves relief pitcher and former Rhea County standout Cory Gearrin announced Tuesday that he will have season-ending Tommy John surgery on his right elbow to repair ligament damage suffered during spring training.

Gearrin's prognosis had been feared since he felt discomfort while pitching in a spring training game on March 25, and he had sought opinions from Dr. James Andrews and others while deciding if surgery was the right course of action.

"It's tough and not what you want," Gearrin said to media outside the Braves clubhouse prior to Tuesday's home opener against the New York Mets. "Coming into the preseason and into spring training I was really excited about the work I had put into the preseason and was looking forward to helping the team win this year.

"It's part of the game though, and now it's just onto the next step for me. I'm just going to put the most into the situation and put the work in and be ready to come back next year."