Red Sox's Vazquez undergoes season-ending Tommy John surgery
Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez underwent successful Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in Florida on Thursday. The operation was performed by renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews.
Vazquez, who was slated to open the season as the revamped Red Sox's starting catcher, made his major-league debut in 2014, hitting .240/.308/.309 in 55 games. The 24-year-old has garnered a reputation for his defensive skills, and is a career .265/.344/.392 minor-league hitter.
The expected recovery time for position players who undergo the operation is six-to-nine months - much shorter than it is for pitchers - but Boston is bracing for Vazquez to need an entire year to recuperate.
"It's a blow to us, a blow to him," manager John Farrell told reporters. "This is a major interruption to his development at the major league level. But given the success rate of the procedure, we're fully expecting a complete recovery and get back on track, which is a very promising career for a young, extremely talented catcher.
"Twelve months is typically a realistic time frame, provided there are no issues along the way."
Offseason acquisition Ryan Hanigan will assume starting catcher duties in the wake of Vazquez's injury. Hanigan, a glove-first catcher with typically good on-base skills, has hit a paltry .208/.312/.293 over the last two seasons.
The Red Sox selected Vazquez in the ninth round of the 2008 draft.