Kevin Youkilis' season is over, as the first baseman will undergo season-ending surgery tomorrow in Cleveland, Ohio on his injured thumb.
The decision to have surgery comes immediately on the heels of a trip to hand specialist Thomas Graham for a second opinion. With rest not being sufficient to heal the injury, which could be exacerbated by continued play, the team has decided to shut down Youkilis for the remainder of the season. Given the relative ease and simplicity of the surgery, this should have Youkilis set to have a completely normal schedule for the 2011 season.
After being pulled from Monday’s game against the Indians and placed on the fifteen day disabled list, it was revealed that Youkilis’ injury, aggravated by a swing on an inside pitch, had been bothering him since the Red Sox’ recent West Coast trip. The first baseman was in the midst of an MVP-type season, batting .307/.411/.564.