Aug. 13--REPORTING FROM KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson, as expected, will undergo surgery to shave down bone spurs and remove debris from his left elbow, a procedure that will sideline the left-hander for the remainder of this season but is not expected to affect his availability for 2016.
"I think everyone feels that this is the best course of action for him," Manager Mike Scioscia said before Thursday night's game against the Kansas City Royals. "This has been his decision, and the medical staff's decision, the whole way. It was nothing that we pushed on him or talked to him about."
Wilson briefly considered delaying the surgery, resting and rehabilitating his arm and trying to pitch out of the bullpen in September. But he informed the team Thursday that he opted for surgery after seeking a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic, whom he saw Tuesday.
Wilson, who is guaranteed to make $20 million in 2016, the final year of his five-year, $77.5-million contract, said he pitched with bone spurs all season and had fluid drained from his elbow four times.
Over time, his range of motion grew smaller and the discomfort increased to the point where he was placed on the disabled list July 31 for what the team diagnosed as "left elbow impingement secondary to arthritis." Wilson went 8-8 with a 3.89 earned-run average in 132 innings over 21 starts this season.
"When you first shut down a pitcher, you're obviously hoping that it's short term and he'll be able to regain his form and go out there," Scioscia said. "I think there were a lot of different things that could have taken place. ... In this case, it's surgical."
Wilson underwent similar elbow cleanup procedures after the 2008 and 2012 seasons and bounced back both times, pitching to a 2.81 ERA in 74 relief outings for Texas in 2009 and going 17-7 with a 3.39 ERA in 33 starts for the Angels in 2013.
But the surgery will make it very difficult for the Angels to trade Wilson over the winter. Scioscia said Wilson should be ready for spring training in February, and Wilson will have to have a strong spring or first month or two of the 2016 season to regain his trade value.
