May 09--Andrelton Simmons will undergo surgery to repair a full tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, the Angels announced Monday. Simmons suffered the injury in the third inning in Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay and immediately exited the game.
After diving to his right to field a grounder off Evan Longoria's bat, Simmons rolled onto his thumb and grimaced with pain as he threw the ball late to first. An MRI exam Monday showed a "full thickness tear." He will require at least six weeks to return from the surgery and, based on recent precedent, possibly longer.
A torn thumb UCL kept Houston infielder Jed Lowrie out for three months last season. Washington's Bryce Harper missed more than nine weeks with the injury in 2014.
Maicer Izturis missed the final six weeks of the season with the injury in 2008, and current Angels first-base coach Gary DiSarcina missed seven weeks after the surgery in August 1995, but wished he had waited longer to return. As in Simmons' case, the initial diagnosis regarding DiSarcina was a thumb sprain, suffered when hs slid into second base to break up a double play.
Cliff Pennington figures to take on the majority of shortstop starts in Simmons' absence. The only other player on the Angels' 40-man roster who has played the position recently is Rey Navarro. He could be called up from triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.
Simmons, 26, has not hit well since his November acquisition from Atlanta, but his defense has been typically superb. He will join the Angels' top two starting pitchers, Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney, on the disabled list, as well as closer Huston Street, starting pitcher C.J. Wilson and Craig Gentry, and a member of their planned left-field platoon.
An array of issues have already come up for the Angels in 2016. Off Monday, they are 13-18 to start the season, fourth in the American League West, five games behind division-leading Seattle, their host this weekend following an interleague home series against St. Louis.
pedro.moura@latimes.com
Twitter: @pedromoura
