McCaskill Decides to Have Surgery

Kirk McCaskill came here to pitch, but all he wound up with Thursday was a lecture from Angel Manager Gene Mauch and a plane ticket back to Southern California, where surgery will be performed to remove the bone chip in his right elbow.

“We talked a long time about it and decided to go ahead with the operation,” Mauch said. “I know Kirk wanted to pitch, but we just ruled it out. We looked at every possible thing, studied it as long as we could and decided that it’s just too logical not to do it.”

McCaskill will fly home today and meet with Angel team physician Dr. Lewis Yocum to schedule surgery. Mauch said the operation will be performed “as soon as possible.” Earlier, Yocum estimated that such surgery would sideline McCaskill anywhere from three weeks to three months.

That factor figured significantly in Thursday’s decision.

“The doctor said they are going to have to go in there sooner or later,” Mauch said. “Let’s get it on, let’s get it done.

“He might have been able to pitch with it. But suppose he makes five or six more starts and it gets so bad that ‘Now, we have to do it.’ We lose him then for another six weeks and he’s done for the season.”

Last season, Angel pitcher John Candelaria had a similar operation April 16. He returned to the starting rotation July 8.

“If it works out similarly to the John Candelaria experience, it’ll be wonderful,” Mauch said.

McCaskill was 2-0 with a 2.57 earned-run average after three starts, pitching through pain in each outing. A CAT scan conducted on his elbow Tuesday showed bone fragmentation and at the time, Yocum said it was McCaskill’s decision whether to agree to surgery or to try to pitch.

Wednesday, McCaskill said he would test the arm in his regularly scheduled start Saturday, but Mauch talked him out it.

“At the onset, it was my decision,” McCaskill said. “But today, Gene came up to me and said, ‘It’s best to do it now.’ I still want to start on Saturday, but the more we talked, I thought, ‘What good would it do?’ I could make it worse or hurt my shoulder by trying to overcompensate.

“I also talked with my wife a lot, the trainers and Lew. It’s best to go in there now and get it fixed.”

McCaskill knows the precedent set by Candelaria’s surgery and rehabilitation. Candelaria spent three months on the disabled list and now admits that he came back too soon.

“All I can hope for is that this is not as bad,” McCaskill said. “Either way, I fully expect to be back the last couple of months of the season.”

Taking McCaskill’s place in the starting rotation will be rookie Willie Fraser. Fraser, 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in five appearances, will make his first major league start Saturday against Mike Smithson. The Angels, who recalled Edmonton reliever DeWayne Buice Wednesday, are expected to promote another minor league player to fill McCaskill’s spot on the roster, possibly relief pitcher Stewart Cliburn.

“You don’t lose a pitcher of Kirk McCaskill’s quality without it causing a struggle,” Mauch said. “But, hell, we had to withstand a similar situation last year. I think we can do it again.”