On May 19, Nathan Karns exited a start in Minnesota after just five innings, complaining of tightness on the top of his right forearm. The discomfort led to a stint on the 10-day disabled list.
The rehab process was expected to be short. Karns believed he would miss one or two starts. And then nothing went right.
On Wednesday, exactly two months later, Karns will undergo surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome, a neurogenic condition caused by the compression of nerves near the neck and shoulder. The procedure will sideline Karns until spring training. It was expected after Royals manager Ned Yost told The Star last week that doctors suspected that Karns was suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome.