Tommy John Surgery

BOSTON RED SOX outfielder Carl Crawford will have season-ending surgery on his left elbow Thursday. Crawford has been playing with pain since coming off the disabled list last month and will have Tommy John surgery. "It became clear over last few days that surgery was going to happen," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said Monday on a conference call. "We felt like after talking about it more this weekend with Carl, the right thing to do is to get it taken care of now. He had played through the injury and played pretty well, but it wasn't getting better.

Tests on Minnesota closer Joe Nathan's right throwing elbow revealed a significant tear in the ulnar collateral ligament, an injury that could require season-ending Tommy John surgery. General manager Bill Smith said the plan is to give Nathan time to let soreness and swelling subside before a final decision about surgery. In the meantime, a second opinion will be sought. The team said Nathan will try to pitch again in 2 weeks. If he can't, the four-time All-Star will have surgery.

Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain has a torn ligament in his right elbow, a startling injury that's likely to require Tommy John surgery and end his season. A test yesterday morning revealed the tear. It came a day after New York put Chamberlain on the 15-day disabled list with a stiff elbow, the latest setback for the back of the Yankees' bullpen. But Chamberlain and the Yankees said they had no idea the injury was so severe when he went for the additional checkup. Chamberlain said he was "kind of in shock" and shed a few tears at the diagnosis, and said he didn't know how or when he hurt himself.

THESE DAYS, you would never know that just a few years ago Jordan Ellis was a scared, hurt kid. And you can't tell that, as recently as three seasons before, he was an overthinking, frustrated reliever at the bottom of the Phillies' system. These days, Ellis is a composed, 25-year-old righthander at Double A Reading, living at home with his parents in Bryn Mawr, pitching in front of a handful of friendly faces whenever the R-Phils are at home. He has a live fastball, a slider that bites, and a cut fastball that, a year into its development, is coming along nicely as a weapon against lefthanders.

A visit to orthopedic surgeon James Andrews confirmed the Phillies' diagnosis of a bone chip and inflammation in Vance Worley's right elbow. Andrews immediately ruled out any serious problem with Worley's ulnar collateral ligament - which means no Tommy John surgery is needed. "Immediately after he grabbed my arm, he knew it wasn't Tommy John," said Worley, who visited the specialist in Pensacola, Fla. "Now I just have to go out and get it going. " Worley was not immediately sure of the plan for his return to the field.

Suddenly, everything seems out of whack. Phillies lefthander Randy Wolf could be lost for the year, which would be a blow to a team that has resurrected its season and returned to contention in the National League East. Phillies physician Michael Ciccotti has recommended that Wolf have season-ending Tommy John surgery because of a recurrent injury to the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. That injury put the veteran lefthander on the disabled list twice last season.

DENVER - Jamie Moyer has agreed to terms on a minor league contract with an invite to the Colorado Rockies' spring training, pending a physical. The 49-year-old lefty didn't play last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow. Moyer has played 24 major league seasons, starting with the Chicago Cubs in 1986. He went 9-9 with a 4.84 ERA for the Phillies in 2010. Moyer, who was 56-40 in 4 1/2 seasons with the Phillies, is 267-204 in his career with a 4.24 career ERA.

The Phillies have signed veteran righthander Oscar Villarreal and catcher John Purdom to minor league contracts. Villarreal, 28, missed the 2009 season after having Tommy John surgery on his elbow. He isn't expected to report to spring training until the end of Feburary, his agent told MLB.com. Villarreal pitched six seasons in the big leagues, with the Diamondbacks, Braves and Astros. He is 24-15 with a 3.86 earned run average. In 2008 with the Astros, he was 1-3 with a 5.02 ERA in 35 relief appearances.

Jamie Moyer's hopes of pitching a 25th season in the major leagues have been dealt a considerable blow. The 48-year-old free agent, who has been a Phillie since 2006, tomorrow will undergo elbow surgery that is expected to sideline him at least a year. Moyer will undergo ulnar collateral reconstruction, commonly known as Tommy John surgery, a spokesman for the pitcher said yesterday. A typical recovery from the procedure lasts from 12 to 18 months, meaning Moyer appears to have little shot at pitching next season.

Jamie Moyer went to the Dominican Republic to prove he could still pitch. Ultimately, he may have ended his career there while throwing in a winter ball game. Moyer reportedly reinjured his left elbow in the third inning of a start Saturday for Escogido of the Dominican Winter League. The lefthander, who turns 48 next week, is a free agent and was hoping for a major-league invitation to spring training after pitching parts of five seasons in Philadelphia. Instead, according to the Associated Press, Moyer traveled to California to seek a new diagnosis from Lewis Yocum, the specialist who told Moyer he did not need Tommy John surgery after injuring the elbow in July.

Tough times for Dodgers pitchers. The team announced Tuesday that righthander Chad Billingsley will have Tommy John surgery this week and miss the rest of the season, the latest setback for Los Angeles' rotation. Billingsley, 28, will have the elbow-ligament transplant operation Wednesday in Los Angeles. The team said it typically takes about 12 months to return to competition. Billingsley, who was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts this season, joins a crowded Dodgers disabled list.

DAVID WRIGHT was scratched from the United States' World Baseball Classic game against the Dominican Republic because of sore ribs, but he's optimistic he'll be back in the lineup soon. The New York Mets third baseman said the injury had bothered him for about a week, and the Mets were aware of the issue. He was pulled from the lineup shortly before the game after USA Baseball officials consulted with the Mets. Wright said he'll be examined Friday by a Mets doctor at the team's complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla. "I'm optimistic they will allow me to come back and rejoin the team," he said.

Crowds at spring-training games are down this year by about 14 percent, the Associated Press reported Wednesday, citing totals compiled by STATS. Several factors are blamed for the decline, including exhibition games starting more than a week earlier this year before fans had arrived in Florida and Arizona on vacation and spring break. Chilly weather also led to empty seats, and fans cited watered-down lineups resulting from players' being injured, taking part in the World Baseball Classic, or wanting to rest.

WASHINGTON Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez did not receive performance-enhancing drugs from a South Florida wellness clinic, according to a report. Two independent sources told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" that Gonzalez, who was previously identified as being named in Biogenesis of America documents, did not receive banned substances from the clinic, or its owner Anthony Bosch. "Outside the Lines," however, obtained documents that linked five more professional baseball players to the clinic: San Diego Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera, 26, the reigning National League stolen base champion; Jordan Norberto, 26, a lefty reliever with the Oakland Athletics; Fernando Martinez, 24, a Houston Astros outfielder; Fautino De Los Santos, 27, a reliever claimed off waivers by the San Diego Padres; and Cesar Puello, 21, a New York Mets outfield prospect.

IT APPEARS to be just a matter of time before National League Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey is traded from the New York Mets to the Toronto Blue Jays. Negotiations on a contract extension for Dickey are the only thing holding up a trade between the teams, FoxSports.com reported, citing unnamed sources. According to the report, Dickey has until Tuesday at 2 p.m. to agree to the extension. He is under contract for 2013 at $5 million. Before the trade discussions, he sought an additional $26 million to $28 million over 2 years from the Mets.

BARRY BONDS, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa are listed on the baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, setting up an election sure to become a referendum on the Steroids Era. The 37-player ballot was announced Wednesday. More than 600 longtime members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America will vote through next month. Candidates need 75 percent for induction, and the results will be announced Jan. 9. Bonds is the all-time home run champion with 762 and won a record seven MVP awards.

THE NEW YORK Mets offered third baseman David Wright a contract extension of at least 7 years, sources told Newsday, of Long Island. The value of the proposal is believed to be worth somewhere in the range of $130 million. The Mets made re-signing Wright their top offseason priority. Wright, who turns 30 next month, would become a free agent after next season if an agreement isn't reached. "Imagine the Atlanta Braves without Chipper Jones," said teammate R.A. Dickey, who is also in the middle of contract talks.

Reliever Rafael Soriano opted out of the final year of a three-year, $35 million contract with the New York Yankees on Wednesday and will likely seek a long-term deal in free agency. The move was expected after the righthander had 42 saves and a 2.26 ERA while filling in for closer Mariano Rivera this season after baseball's saves leader tore a knee ligament in early May. Soriano, who will turn 33 in December, was set to make $14 million next season. Instead, New York will pay him a $1.5 million buyout.

While the Yankees will have plenty of decisions to make this offseason, the one that will garner the most headlines and create the biggest stir is what - or what not - to do with Alex Rodriguez. He returned from a broken hand in September and struggled down the stretch and right into the postseason. The 37-year-old third baseman's regular-season numbers were the lowest they've been in his career for a full season - 18 homers and 57 RBIs. Still, manager Joe Girardi is planning for A-Rod to be in his lineup next year.

Ozzie Guillen has been fired after one year as manager of the last-place Miami Marlins, whose promising season began to derail in April when his laudatory comments about Fidel Castro angered Cuban Americans, who make up a large segment of the Marlins' fans. The Marlins announced the firing Tuesday. They still owe Guillen $7.5 million for the three years remaining on his contract.   No bounces Bad bounces and stone-cold bats cost the Cardinals their last chance to return to the World Series, the team said after a 9-0 drubbing by San Francisco in the NLCS decider.