BOSTON – The Andrew Heaney stem cell experiment failed.
The Angels announced on Thursday that Heaney will undergo Tommy John surgery because they had not seen sufficient results from the stem cell treatment after nearly two months.
Heaney’s surgery will be performed Friday in Los Angeles by noted orthopedist, Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Although it’s possible Heaney could be back by sometime in the second half of 2017, it’s more likely that he won’t pitch again in the majors until 2018. The rehab period for Tommy John surgery is 12 to 18 months, although teams in recent seasons have been leaning more toward the later end of that range.