MILWAUKEE -- Pitcher Josh Johnson will have Tommy John surgery on Thursday, after an exam by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews this week showed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in Johnson's right elbow.The procedure, which will be done in Pensacola, Fla., will technically be a revision of the UCL, said San Diego assistant general manager A.J. Hinch."We all feel badly about JJ," Hinch said.Johnson has a history with Andrews, who did the cleanup surgery last October on Johnson's right elbow to remove bone spurs. In 2007, Andrews performed Tommy John surgery on Johnson, then a pitcher with the Marlins. 
The Padres signed Johnson to a one-year deal for $8 million in November, with hopes he could rebuild his credentials and be a force in the starting rotation.The Padres hold a club option of $4 million for 2015 since Johnson was unable to make seven starts -- risk protection given his health issues last season. San Diego will need to determine if it will exercise that option."We still have a lot of hurdles to clear before we make a decision on that," Hinch said.Johnson was having a good spring, posting a 3.38 ERA in his four starts when he woke up with a swollen forearm after an outing in mid-March. He had an MRI thereafter that confirmed the strain in the flexor pronator muscles of his right forearm.The Padres shut him down for several weeks before he started a rehabilitation program. He reported feeling good, but his throwing program essentially hit a wall and he needed a cortisone shot on April 2."We were certainly optimistic that he was going to be able to contribute, and he was pitching as well as anyone in Spring Training," Hinch said. "For the promise he showed in spring … I feel badly for him."The Padres understood there would be some risk involved when they signed Johnson in November.The Padres were hopeful that they were getting a proven arm for the rotation in Johnson, who led the National League in ERA (2.30) in 2010 and posted a 3.15 ERA in parts of eight seasons with the Marlins, with a combined WAR of 11 from 2009-10. He had a disastrous run with the Blue Jays last season, as he wasn't healthy, had a 6.20 ERA in 16 starts and didn't pitch after Aug. 6."We know that there's risk, but we're very excited about the upside about what he can bring," Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said at the news conference to announce Johnson's signing.Corey Brock / MLB.com
The Padres signed Johnson to a one-year deal for $8 million in November, with hopes he could rebuild his credentials and be a force in the starting rotation.The Padres hold a club option of $4 million for 2015 since Johnson was unable to make seven starts -- risk protection given his health issues last season. San Diego will need to determine if it will exercise that option."We still have a lot of hurdles to clear before we make a decision on that," Hinch said.Johnson was having a good spring, posting a 3.38 ERA in his four starts when he woke up with a swollen forearm after an outing in mid-March. He had an MRI thereafter that confirmed the strain in the flexor pronator muscles of his right forearm.The Padres shut him down for several weeks before he started a rehabilitation program. He reported feeling good, but his throwing program essentially hit a wall and he needed a cortisone shot on April 2."We were certainly optimistic that he was going to be able to contribute, and he was pitching as well as anyone in Spring Training," Hinch said. "For the promise he showed in spring … I feel badly for him."The Padres understood there would be some risk involved when they signed Johnson in November.The Padres were hopeful that they were getting a proven arm for the rotation in Johnson, who led the National League in ERA (2.30) in 2010 and posted a 3.15 ERA in parts of eight seasons with the Marlins, with a combined WAR of 11 from 2009-10. He had a disastrous run with the Blue Jays last season, as he wasn't healthy, had a 6.20 ERA in 16 starts and didn't pitch after Aug. 6."We know that there's risk, but we're very excited about the upside about what he can bring," Padres general manager Josh Byrnes said at the news conference to announce Johnson's signing.Corey Brock / MLB.com
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