The Tampa Bay Rays could be without one of their aces for the foreseeable future.
The team placed left-hander Matt Moore on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with soreness in his left elbow, and an MRI on Wednesday revealed a tear in Moore’s ulnar collateral ligament — an injury that often requires Tommy John surgery to repair.
Rays manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday that the team has not yet decided whether the 24-year-old will go through with the surgery or choose to rehab the injury instead.
“Honestly, let’s just wait until (Thursday). I don’t have everything in,” Maddon said, via The Tampa Tribune. “It needs to be looked at a little more deeply, because it’s not a slam-dunk surgery right now.
“I don’t think it’s fully torn, from what I understand.”
Moore started 27 games for the Rays in 2013 — his second full season in the majors — going 17-4 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. He was the losing pitcher in his first two starts this season but allowed just three runs on 10 hits in 10 total innings.
If Moore chooses surgery, he would become the second young pitching star in as many seasons to have a campaign cut short by a elbow tear. New York Mets All-Star Matt Harvey opted for Tommy John after tearing his UCL last October and is not expected to pitch this season.
