Thorpe set for season-ending surgery, eyes Spring Training return
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CHICAGO -- White Sox right-hander Drew Thorpe is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery to shave down a bone spur in his right elbow on Sept. 7, as announced by the team during a 2-0 loss to the Mets Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The procedure will take place at San Francisco's Golden State Orthopedics and is scheduled to be performed by Dr. Kenneth Akizuki. Thorpe is expected to be without restrictions for the start of Spring Training.
Thorpe clarified after the loss how the bone spur was not being totally removed.
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“When I got the first imaging done, it showed up in there. So that was kind of an underlying thing,” Thorpe said. “Other than that, pretty good news. UCL looks really clean, flexor stuff went away. So that was kind of the underlying cause.
“Getting close to the end and just figured there's no reason to push. At the end of the day, that was the best option.”
As the centerpiece of the four-player return from San Diego in exchange for Dylan Cease during Spring Training, Thorpe posted a 3-3 record with a 5.48 ERA over nine starts in his debut season. Those numbers included five straight starts of working at least six innings from June 22 to July 21. He gave up no more than three hits and allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of those outings.
Thorpe has not pitched since July 31, after giving up 14 earned runs over 5 2/3 innings in his previous two starts. The right-hander went on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Aug. 1 with a right forearm flexor strain.
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Recovery time is eight weeks of “no-throw,” according to Thorpe.
“So that should be about right when I'm ramping up for Spring Training,” Thorpe said. “I should have a normal offseason, get ready for next year.”
Pitching through this season, both on an individual level and working with his teammates to navigate a single-season franchise record of 107 losses set Sunday, has been a true learning experience for the 23-year-old from Utah.
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“I learned a lot, just more about myself as a pitcher and being able to succeed in this league, what I need to do. And just carry that on to next year,” Thorpe said. “Obviously we've had a tough stretch but [his teammates will] all say the same thing.
“We're all coming in here trying to get better every day and trying to win ball games. It hasn't gone our way, but we're all pushing for each other and just trying to get better every day.”