NAMES IN THE NEWS : Yankees’ Perez Has Surgery

New York Yankees right-hander Pascual Perez underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery Thursday, and several problems were addressed, including a partially torn rotator cuff.

Rotator cuff injuries are almost always serious and can be career-threatening, but General Manager Pete Peterson expressed optimism after Perez’s operation.

“The prognosis looks good for spring training and a full recovery,” Peterson said. “The doctor (James Andrews) said he’s done some like this one before and had success with it. I got the feeling it wasn’t a very serious problem with the rotator cuff.”

According to the Yankees, Andrews shaved down a partially worn rotator cuff in addition to repairing a partially torn labrum (the shoulder’s lining) and removing a bone spur from the back of the shoulder.