Beachy has surgery, expects to be set for start of '14

ATLANTA -- Brandon Beachy's hopes of pitching again this season essentially ended three weeks ago when he continued to feel right elbow discomfort. But after undergoing a surgical procedure on Thursday, Beachy was given reason to believe he will be ready for the start of next season.

Dr. James Andrews removed some foreign particles that had been causing Beachy to deal with inflammation that was causing the elbow discomfort the Braves pitcher battled much of this summer. With a three-month rehab now ahead of him, Beachy could certainly be ready for the start of next season.

"It was probably the best news we could hope for," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "The normal return is three months for this type of surgery. He should come into Spring Training on time and 100 percent."

Beachy was shut down in June, just a few days before he was scheduled to make his first Major League start since undergoing Tommy John surgery 12 months earlier. He returned to Atlanta's rotation in late July and made five starts before being shut down yet again.

As the past few weeks have elapsed, the Braves never gained the sense that Beachy's discomfort was a product of the ligament damage, which could have created the possibility of undergoing a second Tommy John procedure. Andrews confirmed the less problematic diagnosis during this latest procedure.