Kansas City Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar has a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow that is expected to sideline him for at least two months.
Hochevar suffered the injury on Monday while pitching to the last batter he faced in a two-inning stint against the Chicago White Sox in a spring training game. Tests on Tuesday confirmed the sprain.
“His second-to-the-last pitch against the White Sox he felt a twinge in his elbow,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He ended up throwing a cutter to strike the guy out. He felt OK coming in, but the next day it was real stiff and sore.”
Yost hopes that Hochevar will be able to return in late May or early June. In the short term, he will not do any throwing for two to three weeks.
“We were a little nervous that it could have been worse,” Yost said.
Hochevar made 58 relief appearances last year for the Royals and posted a 5-2 record with a 1.92 ERA and two saves. He was in the running for a spot in the rotation this season, but Yost said he will use Hochevar again in relief when he returns.
Other starting candidates for the Royals are Wade Davis, Danny Duffy and rookie Yordano Ventura.
Hochevar, who also was sidelined in 2010 with a sprained elbow, is eligible for free agency after the season. His 2014 salary is $5.21 million.