Zach Buchanan

zbuchanan@enquirer.com

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Cincinnati Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani has a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will be shut down from throwing for at least four weeks. The 26-year-old was diagnosed by team medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek at his private practice back in Cincinnati on Monday.

“There is a sense of relief that it's not (completely) torn and it's something we're able to address going forward,” said Dick Williams, the team’s general manager. “It's always scary when you start having issues with that ligament. It's something you've got to be real careful with going forward.”

DeSclafani first reported elbow soreness two weeks ago, and underwent an ultrasound exam at the team's spring training facility. He was shut down for three days, but the soreness went away and he was cleared to resume throwing. He completed two bullpen sessions, but the soreness returned after the second one.

That second soreness was a different sensation, Williams said. According to Williams, DeSclafani felt a sensation after throwing a certain pitch in that bullpen session. It was “a more specific issue” than his first bout with discomfort, which DeSclafani has previously said felt similar to other minor aches he’s experienced in past years.

“I think he feels he can trace it to a specific point in time,” Williams said.

On Sunday, the Reds sent him back to Cincinnati to see Kremchek for an MRI, which revealed the sprain, which is a partial tear of the ligament. He'll rest for about a month, after which he will be reevaluated by Kremchek and the team medical staff.

Fellow Reds right-hander Michael Lorenzen suffered a similar injury last spring, and was able to return without surgery. Lorenzen made it back in June, but his recovery timetable was extended by a bout with mononucleosis that forced him to restart his entire throwing program.

Kremchek called DeSclafani’s sprain “very similar” to Lorenzen’s, and expects DeSclafani to recovery fine without the specter of Tommy John surgery hanging over his head. DeSclafani’s scans starkly contrasted with those of right-hander Homer Bailey two years ago, when Bailey suffered a tear that required reconstructive surgery.

“I’m very aggressive with these things,” Kremchek said. “I knew with Homer. I knew Homer needed it done. I knew it. This, I’m very confident (DeSclafani will) do very well. If you can avoid surgery, that’s what you want to do.”

If all goes well, DeSclafani could make his season debut sometime in mid-May after completing a normal throwing program to build up his arm. Williams didn’t want to get into timetable specifics, but said it was “fair speculation” that the 26-year-old could return about the same time as Bailey, who is recovering from January surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow. Bailey is expected back at the beginning of June, when he eligible to return from the 60-day disabled list.

The loss of those two means there is only one healthy starting pitcher in camp who spent last season in a major-league rotation – left-hander Brandon Finnegan, who is entering just his second year as a starter. The Reds also feel free agent addition Scott Feldman can provide reliable innings.

Beyond those two, the internal candidates offer no certainty in terms of performance. The Reds have a host of talented but unproven young pitchers they could turn to, and also have 40-year-old righty Bronson Arroyo in camp on a minor-league deal. The young pitchers have no track record, and Arroyo has health concerns of his own after shoulder and elbow surgeries have kept him from a big-league mound since 2014.

“Well, I think we've got to digest the alternatives and see what's out there,” Williams said. “We're still very committed to seeing what we have here in camp. These guys have really done a great job with the opportunity that's been given to them. That whole group continues to perform.”