Braves lose Mike Hampton for 2nd straight season

Last Updated: Monday, April 9, 2007 | 6:15 PM ET

CBC Sports

Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Hampton will undergo elbow surgery Tuesday, forcing him to miss a second straight season.

Hampton, 34, has a torn flexor tendon in his left (pitching) elbow, the same one he had surgically repaired roughly 19 months ago.

Mike Hampton will have season-ending left elbow surgery Tuesday.
(Chris Carlson/Associated Press)

The torn tendon was diagnosed Monday during an examination by Dr. Dave Altchek, who replaced a ligament in Hampton's elbow on Sept. 26, 2005.

Hampton, who suffered the injury as he batted during spring training, won't resume pitching for six-to-eight months.

"Once you have a 'Tommy John' injury, you never know how you're going to bounce back," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. 

Hampton is in the seventh year of an eight-year, $121-million US contract he inked with the Colorado Rockies on Dec. 9, 2000.

He spent two seasons with Colorado before being traded, along with outfielder Juan Pierre, to the Florida Marlins for Preston Wilson, Charles Johnson, Vic Darensbourg and Pablo Ozuna on Nov. 16, 2002.

The next day, Florida dealt Hampton to Atlanta for Tim Spooneybarger and Ryan Baker.

Hampton combined to make 60 starts in his first two seasons with the Braves, but he managed just 12 starts in 2005 and missed the next season recovering from elbow surgery.

"It's disappointing because Mike has worked so hard, physically and mentally, to come back to pitch for us," Schuerholz said. "He wants to pitch again for us almost as bad we want him back pitching for us."

Hampton, a two-time all-star, is 138-101 lifetime with a 3.97 earned-run average, 21 complete games, nine shutouts and a save in 375 appearances (321 starts) over 13 MLB seasons for the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, New York Mets, Rockies and Braves.

He also has won five Silver Slugger Awards as the finest hitting pitcher in the National League.