Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley was placed on the 60-day DL on Wednesday due to a partial tear in the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of his throwing arm, and now hopes that rest and rehabilitation will help him avoid off-season surgery.
When asked by reporters about the injury, Billingsley was obviously not excited about it, but was optimistic that a pair of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections last Thursday and today would help expedite the healing process in his right arm:
"There was an outside chance I would be able to get back, it wasn't very good, but I was able to hold onto that. The night they told me [I was shut down], I thought, 'Crap.' We're in a September race with a chance to make the playoffs. You always want to be a part of it, but now I have to sit and watch."
"They say it has a chance to heal, and the PRP injection should help it recover. I'm keeping my fingers crossed."
Billingsley won't touch a baseball for the next two weeks, but will do some throwing after that to see if he is healing up or if surgery will be necessary. His last outing came on Aug. 24, 2012, lasting just 3.1 innings before being removed with soreness in his elbow.
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