SURPRISE, Ariz. - Rangers pitching prospect Chi Chi Gonzalez will likely miss at least the first half of the season.
And that's the good news.
Gonzalez was diagnosed Friday with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow by team physician Dr. Keith Meister. Gonzalez, who had been scheduled to start Sunday, complained of soreness Friday morning. After an MRI revealed the injury, the Rangers opted to go with a conservative treatment plan: An injection of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and six weeks of rest.
"Dr. Meister felt that with the area where the injury is, he has historically had a pretty good success rate for the conservative route of the [PRP] injection," assistant general manager Josh Boyd said.