By DANIEL DULLUM
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, May 1, 2014

Oakland’s A.J. Griffin, a right-handed starting pitcher for the Athletics, underwent successful “Tommy John” reconstructive surgery Wednesday morning to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, the A’s reported.

Griffin, who has not pitched this season for Oakland, had sought a second opinion from Dr. Thomas Mehlhoff, who evaluated the pitcher and performed the surgery at Texas Orthopedic Hospital in Houston.

Griffin had been placed on the 15-day disabled list at the end of spring training and will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2014 season.

The 26-year-old Griffin posted a 14-10 record and a 3.83 earned run average in 32 starts in 2013. He also allowed 171 hits while logging 171 strikeouts and issuing 54 walks in a team-leading 200 innings. Elbow tendonitis kept Griffin from pitching in the 2013 American League Division Series.

Meanwhile, the Athletics had the day off Thursday before traveling to Boston for a three-game weekend series at Fenway Park against the Red Sox. Then, the A’s return home for a three-day, four-game series against Seattle, including an old-fashioned doubleheader on May 7, starting at 12:15 p.m.