Boston’s Nipper Undergoes Surgery, Will Be Sidelined for About Six Weeks

Boston Red Sox pitcher Al Nipper, who suffered a four-inch gash on his right knee in Sunday’s game against the Texas Rangers, will be sidelined for about six weeks but is expected to make a full recovery, the team said.

The 27-year-old right-hander underwent a 1-hour 15-minute operation to repair the cut Sunday night at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester.

Nipper suffered the injury in the sixth inning of the Red Sox’s 5-4 victory over Texas while tagging out Larry Parrish at home plate.

With the Rangers leading 2-1, Darrell Porter singled and scored on Parrish’s double down the right-field line. Nipper then threw a wild pitch to Toby Harrah. As Parrish attempted to score from second, catcher Rich Gedman picked up the ball off the back wall behind the plate and fired to Nipper, who applied the tag before going to the ground in pain.

Dr. Arthur Pappas, the Red Sox physician who performed the surgery, said through a team spokesman that the cut had torn through 80 to 85% of one three major muscles surrounding the knee. He said no ligaments had been damaged.

Pappas said the gash had missed the kneecap by half an inch.

“Everything in the knee joint was OK,” said team spokesman Jim Samia. “There were no torn ligaments.”

Samia said Nipper will wear a splint for several days to allow doctors to check for infection before the knee is placed in a cast.

He said it was not certain when Nipper would be released from the hospital, but said he would begin “light rehabilitation” exercises today.