Braves closer Arody Vizcaíno underwent surgery on his right shoulder Wednesday and will miss the rest of the regular season, the Braves announced.
Vizcaíno, 28, was placed on the 10-day injured list April 14, retroactive to April 11, with inflammation in his right shoulder. He appeared in four games this season, allowing one run, which was earned, in four innings.
“He’s decided the best thing for him is to get it cleaned up and get it ready for next spring,” general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. “Player’s choice, we obviously respect it. Tough loss for us, but we move forward.”
Dr. David Altchek performed the surgery Wednesday in New York. Altchek cleaned up Vizcaíno’s labrum, while also removing scar tissue from the right shoulder joint, the team said in a release.
“He was in pain and tried to pitch through it,” Anthopoulos said. “He, with the club, his agent as well, decided this was the best course of action for him, short-term and long-term.”
Vizcaino has had multiple stints on the IL with shoulder issues, dating to last season. The Braves still tendered him for $4.8 million in December, a number that became guaranteed when he made the opening-day roster.
The Braves will continue their closer-by-committee approach in his absence. Anthopoulos will continue monitoring the market for outside help.
“We’ve had a lot of turnover there from what we thought we’d break with,” he said. “It goes without saying, we’re going to look to do what we can, both internally and externally.”
