MESA, Ariz. -- R.J. Alvarez underwent successful surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow, the A's announced Wednesday. Dr. Jon Dickinson performed the arthroscopic surgery in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Oakland doesn't yet have a timeline for the 24-year old right-hander's return.
Alvarez, 24, appeared in 21 games for the A's last season and posted a 9.90 ERA. He appeared in four games this spring, going 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA.
MLB goes high-tech
iPads will be allowed in the dugout for the 2016 season and though the new technology integration presents some exciting opportunities, Oakland is taking a wait-and-see approach.
"I don't know that it'll change things," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It depends on what your tastes are. If you're used to flipping pages and that's what you like to do, then you stick with that. We'll see how guys acclimate with the iPads. I think it's more for, not necessarily for me, but maybe more so for the coaches."
Managers, coaches and players will all have access to advance-scouting reports and Statcast™ data on the iPad pro. The teams will also be able to upload their own info, via the MLB Dugout app.
"It certainly streamlines the material that you have out there," Melvin said. "But some guys are a little bit more comfortable with flipping through things."
Billy Butler is certainly among those more comfortable with the traditional method of flipping through pages in a binder.
"I don't know if I'm on that technology level to do that," Butler said. "I'm used to looking at sheets and looking at percentages and stuff like that."
However, Butler also said that he's open to using the iPads after the "adjustment period" is out of the way.
"Papers, iPad, I don't care," Butler said. "As long as I have what I need to hit."
Worth Noting
• Coco Crisp, who was scratched from Tuesday's game with hamstring tightness, hit in the cage Wednesday.
• Right-hander Henderson Alvarez is scheduled for a light throwing session Wednesday, and he is expected to throw to batters Saturday, Melvin said. Alvarez is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder in July 2015.