Nationals right-handed pitcher Shawn Hill was examined Friday in Pensacola, Fla. by Dr. James Andrews, who recommended arthroscopic surgery to both clean out bony buildup behind the pitcher’s right elbow and evaluate the elbow ligament itself.
Hill, 27, was officially declared out for the season by team officials on Thursday. He had been on the disabled list since June 25 with persistent nerve pain in his right forearm, but had begun a rehabilitation program in Viera, Fla., at the organization’s spring training complex. It was during that throwing program when Hill experienced the elbow pain that led to his visit with Dr. Andrews.
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Before surgery, Hill will visit Dr. Tom Hunt at the University of Alabama-Birmingham next Wednesday for another evaluation of his forearm pain, thought to be related to irritation of his radial nerve. But the exact cause of that pain has mystified Hill and his doctors.
“It seems to have defied specific diagnosis throughout this past year,” said Dr. Benjamin Shaffer, Nats team orthopedist. “It’s a mystery. It’s difficult to discern exactly what the problem is.”
Shaffer noted that multiple tests have not shown any new structural damage to Hill’s elbow. But the pitcher did have reconstructive elbow surgery in 2005 and, Shaffer said, that can have unknown effects on the muscles around the ligament.
Hill was expected to rejoin the Nats in September and pitch out of the bullpen. He made 12 starts this season, battling varying degrees of pain in each, and went 1-5 with a 5.83 ERA. In 2006, Hill made six starts after recovering from that Tommy John surgery. The forearm pain and a separate shoulder injury limited him to 16 starts in 2007, but Hill still posted a solid 3.42 ERA in a career-high 97 1/3 innings.
