Marlins star pitcher Jose Fernandez is scheduled to have Tommy John surgery Friday morning in Los Angeles, league sources said.
Fernandez, one of the rising stars in the game, was found to have a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament earlier in the week, and the Marlins said on Wednesday that surgery is recommended. Word is that Fernandez's elbow is otherwise "pristine," making him an ideal candidate to return to past form.
The usual recovery time for surgery of this kind is 12-18 months.
Fernandez, 4-2 with a 2.44 ERA, felt pain in his last start against the Padres in San Diego, and went for an MRI, when the tear was discovered.
Noted surgeon Neal ElAttrache will perform the surgery.
