Hong-Chih Kuo of the Los Angeles Dodgers will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow on Friday, the club reported today. Kuo was scheduled to pitch for the Chinese Taipei national team in the upcoming MLB Taiwan All-Star series, but had to back out because of his elbow condition. It will be six to eight weeks before Kuo can throw, per Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
↵Six weeks from Friday is December 9, which is three days before the deadline to tender contracts to players not eligible for free agency. Kuo is arbitration eligible after making $2.725 million in 2011, and a likely candidate to get non-tendered unless he and the Dodgers can work out some sort of incentive-laden deal with a low base salary.
↵Kuo put up a 9.00 ERA with 23 walks (and 36 strikeouts!) in 27 innings this season, and missed nearly six weeks with the yips. But coming back from adversity is nothing new for Kuo, who has had six trips to the disabled list over the last five seasons. He had Tommy John Surgery twice as a minor leaguer, and has had elbow problems in both 2007 (surgery to remove bone chips) and 2009 (missed three months with elbow soreness).
↵Is another comeback for Kuo in the cards? If so, will it be as a Dodger? Time will tell, but Kuo is the dean of the Dodgers, having been in the organization since June 1999, so whenever his time with the team is up he will be missed.
↵For more news on Kuo and the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.