KND Report: Uehara out 3-5 weeks

July 3, 12:33 AMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Uehara won't be doing this anytime soon
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The results are back from Koji Uehara's visit to the orthopedist, and they're not good: a partial tear of the flexor tendon in his right elbow will keep him out of action for about two months.

Uehara's elbow had been giving him problems after his last start, and neither he nor the Orioles thought it would be this bad.

The problem won't require surgery, but Uehara can't pitch for another three to five weeks, after which he'll need to spend several more weeks rebuilding his strength.

Given how much stamina has been an issue for him, and how fragile he's proven to be, it may be even longer than that. The O's aren't going to rush him back from his injury, and they'll take their time rebuilding his arm strength, too.

And when he's ready to return, it may not even be as a starter. Nobody's saying anything definitive just yet, but the idea of moving him to the bullpen has been tossed around.

When asked about the possibility, manager Dave Trembley said, "I think we'll have to consider that, but we'll have to see where he's at health-wise."

It's hard to imagine paying him $5M per season to pitch from the pen, but he closed for the Yomiuri Giants in 2007 and had an excellent year. His 32 saves were third in the league, and he put up a very nice 1.74 ERA in 62 IP, with 66 Ks against just 4 BBs and 47 H.

The Orioles have a closer, of course, and George Sherrill has been good in that role, but he's a lefty (few closers are left-handed) and faltered in that role last year. Uehara could assume that mantle if Sherrill slips again, or merely work as a long reliever.

Kattobase Nihonjin Dairiigaa!

Of course, before that happens, he's got to rehabilitate that elbow first.

About the only good news he got was that he wouldn't need surgery, and that this isn't the ligament damage that would require something severe like Tommy John surgery.

Instead, the damage is to his right elbow flexor tendon, the same tendon that's strained with lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow.

And, like that common ailment, the only prescription for Uehara is rest. I've had tennis elbow, and it's incredibly painful, and took me a good six months to get over (but nobody's paying me $10M to throw a baseball, either).

This all means that Uehara will be out of commission until August at least, and what his role will be upon his return is up in the air.

Unfortunately, it's yet another obstacle to the importation of Japanese starters. For whatever reason, Japanese relievers do fine—with the notable exception of Hideo Nomo—but starters burn out.

Let's hope that Uehara returns to prove that stereotype wrong.