SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Kansas City Royals defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in Cactus League play on Wednesday, but the major news of the day concerned a player not even in uniform. Veteran pitcher Luke Hochevar has been diagnosed with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, an injury he suffered while pitching to his final batter during Monday’s exhibition loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Manager Ned Yost said an MRI performed on Tuesday revealed the injury, and the plan now is for Hochevar to rest with no pitching activity for at least three weeks. The earliest he could possibly return would be late May or early June during the regular season.
Hochevar won’t throw or perform any pitching activities for the next three weeks. The worst case scenario would be for Hochevar to have Tommy John surgery, which would sideline him for up to a year.