Kendall Graveman, the A’s Opening Day starter, will have Tommy John surgery Monday in Dallas and will be out 12 to 14 months.
“It’s been kind of tough,” Graveman told The Chronicle on Tuesday. “But in the long run, it’s going to work out. I’m going to work as hard as I can to get back.”
Graveman, who has been on Triple-A Nashville’s disabled list much of the season, said that an MRI exam earlier in the season showed possible damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, and after six weeks of rehab, there were no signs that significant healing had occurred. “The throwing program didn’t go as well as hoped,” Graveman said. “Even throwing 60-75 feet was tough.”
A’s manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday that Graveman’s surgery will be performed by Texas Rangers team physician Dr. Keith Meister. The manager didn’t know when the surgery would be.
"It’s unfortunate that he’s having to go down this road right now, it’s going to take a little while for him to get back," Melvin said.
Graveman was 0-5 with an 8.89 ERA in his six starts this season for the A’s before getting sent down to Triple-A Nashville on April 26. The 26-year-old right-hander got a second opinion after a recent setback with his troublesome pitching elbow.
Graveman was 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in four Triple-A starts. When he was sent down, he had the most losses, runs allows (28) and hits allowed (41) in the majors.
The pitcher had last been optioned to the minors in 2015 after starting the year 1-2 with an 8.27 ERA in four starts. He came back a month later to go 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA over his first nine starts following his return.
