Rocky Biddle will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right labrum next week, becoming the 11th White Sox pitcher to be operated on in the last year.
After the Sox tried to get Biddle to close up his delivery early this summer, he felt a pinching in his shoulder that has not gone away, in spite of anti-inflammatories.
The extent of the injury is not known, but general manager Ken Williams said he expects Biddle to be ready to pitch by next spring training.
Biddle, 25, is likely to have the surgery performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum, who already repaired Biddle’s elbow and knee in the past.
The breakdown of the Sox staff has been a constant question this season and there are no ready answers.
Biddle is the sixth pitcher this season to need surgery since Opening Day.
Cal Eldred went down with an elbow injury after having a five-inch screw inserted there last August, followed by Jim Parque, Antonio Osuna, Lorenzo Barcelo, Kelly Wunsch and David Wells.
Former Sox starter James Baldwin, Sean Lowe, Bill Simas and Bob Howry had surgery last off-season.
“We’ve talked to people to evaluate what we’re doing and not doing,” Williams said. “All signs point to us having a string of bad luck.”
The Sox should have a surplus of pitchers next spring training, but the majority of them are likely to have to be babied along like Baldwin was last spring.
“I don’t believe there’s going to be a surplus of medical questions,” Williams said. “Most of our guys have been out the bulk of the year and will have had time to recover. I expect us to be healthy and ready to go.”
The only Sox pitchers who have been on the roster since Opening Day and have remained healthy are Mark Buehrle, Howry and Keith Foulke.
