Minnesota Twins: Zumaya Headed for Tommy John Surgery

It was a valiant idea, but that’s all it looks like it’ll be. This offseason the Minnesota Twins signed relief pitcher Joel  Zumaya to a very incentive-based deal to bolster the team’s weak bullpen. One concern about Zumaya was his history with injuries, well the injury bug bit down again.

On Saturday, Zumaya left a bullpen session when his elbow starting flared up. According to ESPN1500 an MRI on Zumaya’s right elbow shows a torn ulnar collateral ligament. That tear usually means Tommy John surgery which means Zumaya will likely miss the whole 2012 season.

Zumaya has had an abundance of injuries already in his career, including in 2010 when he blew out his elbow at Target Field as a member of the Detroit Tigers. That injury required two surgeries and forced Zumaya to miss all of 2011.

It looked like Zumaya would be a huge part of the Twins bullpen this year with the departure of long time closer Joe Nathan, who signed with the Texas Rangers this offseason. Matt Capps is still the closer and set-up man Glen Perkins is the only bullpen pitcher the fans trust with the ball.

This year is a total crap-shoot for the Twins, it could either be like 2010 and a division championship or 2011 and a 99 loss season. There’s not much in between, everything will either come together or blow up right in the Twins collective face.

The last time the Twins lost a big name in the bullpen during Spring Training due to Tommy John was Joe Nathan in 2010, now it’s Joel Zumaya in 2012. Now fans will have to pray for another bullpen savior.