Perez Correctly Opts for Tommy John

It couldn't have been easy for Martin Perez to make the decision he did on Thursday.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Perez met with Texas Rangers officials and decided he will opt for season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair a partial tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. The surgery used to be a death sentence for pitchers, but now, they typically are back in 12-18 months and are often stronger than ever.

"I don't want to miss this year; I want to get out there and compete," Perez told reporters. "But I can't just think about this year. If I do the other option, I might not get back or the ligament might get hurt again. If I have the surgery, at this time next year, I can be back and doing what I was doing before — helping the team.

"I feel bad, but I don't want to end up not being able to help the team all of next year, too."

The other option Perez is speaking of is the rehab route, which would take about three months and then he'd be re-evaluated. So sure, there's an outside shot he'd be able to pitch again by late August, but the more likely outcome would be that he'd still require surgery, which would put him out for the entire 2015 season.

Now, if all goes well, Perez could be back on the mound for the Rangers by the all-star break next season.

It's unfortunate, considering Perez had solidified himself as a legitimate No. 2 starter in the absence of Derek Holland, tossing two straight shutouts last month. But since then, he's struggled, and now it's apparent why he did.

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