SAN DIEGO -- Padres outfielder Franchy Cordero is likely opting for potential season-ending surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow, Padres manager Andy Green said on Friday.
After landing on the disabled list in May, Cordero was pulled from his rehab assignment in El Paso on June 18 after feeling pain during his swing. An MRI revealed the bone spur a few days later, leaving Cordero to decide between undergoing surgery, or resting a month and then reevaluating the situation. Expected recovery time from the surgery is around 12 weeks, making a possible return by the end of the season highly unlikely.
"I think the expectation right now is that he's probably going to opt for surgery," Green said. "Him being back with us is probably really unlikely this year, but hopefully [he'll] be ready to play winter ball going into next year and be ready to go."
Green said Cordero, who is hitting .237/.307/.439, is likely to have surgery because the 23-year-old knows he will have to take care of the injury at some point, and realizes that it's continued to linger, even after resting it previously.
"If you take another month off and see if it feels any better, I think you start thinking, 'If I felt it after a few weeks, why am I not going to feel it after a month?'" Green said.
Green indicated that Cordero's decision is not final, and that he still had time to change his mind.
"If he changes his mind, there's no shame in that, it's not an easy decision," Green said. "At the same time, even if he waits, he's not jeopardizing next season. He's just jeopardizing his offseason and his winter ball at-bats."
Worth noting
• Jordan Lyles and Bryan Mitchell played catch on Friday, but Green noted there is still no immediate date for either to return.
Lyles was placed on the disabled list Sunday with right forearm tightness after being scratched from his start minutes before game time against San Francisco. He held a 4.79 ERA after transitioning to the rotation from the bullpen in May. Lyles battled inconsistency in the rotation, but threw seven innings of one-run ball in Atlanta in his last start.
Mitchell was placed on the disabled list on June 20, but hadn't appeared in a game for the Padres since June 5. It hasn't been the season the Padres were hoping for from Mitchell. Over 12 games (seven starts), the righty holds a 7.08 ERA in 48 1/3 innings.
• With Oakland's Franklin Barreto departing from MLB Pipeline's Top 100, Padres left-hander Logan Allen has emerged, giving San Diego nine total prospects in the top 100. The Padres have the most prospects in the Majors in the top 100.
• LHP Tyler Webb was claimed off waivers by St. Louis on Friday. Webb was designated for assignment on June 24. He allowed seven runs in five innings over four appearances for the Padres this season, but held a 2.05 ERA over 22 innings for Triple-A El Paso.