Mariners announce Taijuan Walker, Steve Cishek and Tony Zych have undergone surgeries
Oct 17, 2016, 4:22 PM | Updated: 4:38 pm
The Mariners released the following medical updates Monday afternoon:
• Starting pitcher Taijuan Walker had surgery Oct. 17 to remove a bone fragment on his right ankle. The surgery, an arthroscopic procedure, was performed by Dr. Nicholas Seibert in Seattle. Walker will begin his rehab immediately and is expected to be ready for full activity at the start of spring training.
Walker experienced problems with his foot and ankle starting in June. He tweaked his between games preparation, had some starts pushed back and eventually had to be placed on the 15-Day disabled list on July 6, coming off of it on Aug. 5. While he could pitch with the condition, surgery was recommended to remove the bone that was irritating the tendon in his foot. He is expected to spend most of the winter in Seattle rehabbing.
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• Relief pitcher Tony Zych, who was on the DL from May 2 to Aug. 23 with right rotator cuff tendinitis, underwent a right shoulder biceps tendon transfer on Oct. 11 in New York. The surgery was performed by Dr. Stephen O’Brien and did not involve the rotator cuff or capsule in the shoulder. Zych is expected to be ready for full activity at the start of spring training.
• Relief pitcher Steve Cishek will miss the start of the 2017 season as he underwent surgery Oct. 12 to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. He is expected to need four to six months of rehabilitation before he can resume full baseball activities.
Cishek missed just 16 games after the tear in his hip labrum was discovered. He was placed on the DL on Aug. 4 and returned Aug. 19. In the month before he was placed on the DL, Cishek allowed eight earned runs over an 11-inning stretch and was taken out of the closer role. After he returned, he gave up just two earned runs in 16 1/3 innings pitched, limiting hitters to a .167 batting average.
Per the announcement, the Mariners do not have any other players currently scheduled for surgery this offseason.