Andrew Bailey To Have Surgery, Out Till All-Star Break

Andrew Bailey will undergo surgery on his injured thumb and, according to Bobby Valentine, will not be back before the All-Star Break.

Well, there's our new information, folks. While the writing seemed to be on the wall, it seems that Bailey's second opinion in Cleveland has confirmed the first.

Bailey will undergo surgery to fix the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right thumb tomorrow in Cleveland, leaving the Sox without their expected closer for months. The obvious choice to step in is Mark Melancon, who has experience closing from last year, but others have put forth the possibility of Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, or even Vicente Padilla filling the role.

Bailey, of course, has struggled to stay healthy his entire career, but the thumb is a new source of pain for the closer. It has been bothering him for weeks, ever since a collision at first base against the Pirates sent him to the ground. Now the worst case scenario seems to have come true.

Expect Bailey to be placed on the 60-day disabled list shortly, with another pitcher--perhaps Scott Atchison--being added to replace him.