Rangers' Kohei Arihara To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

Texas Rangers pitcher Kohei Arihara will undergo shoulder surgery that will keep him from throwing for at least 12 weeks.

Chris Halicke | May 22, 2021

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kohei Arihara will need shoulder surgery due to repair an aneurysm that was found this week by the club's medical staff.

The procedure, which is a repair of the posterior circumflex humeral artery aneurysm, is scheduled to be performed on May 27 by vascular surgeon Dr. Gregory Pearl in Dallas.

Following the procedure, Arihara will be sidelined for at least 12 weeks. After that point, it will be determined whether he can resume a throwing program.

With a lengthy prognosis, it is unclear if he will pitch again this season. Arihara's health is obviously paramount, and thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery.

The diagnosis of an aneurysm was made after a further examination earlier this week, when Arihara continued to be bothered by symptoms in the middle finger on his right hand.

Arihara was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 9. After a period of rest and treatment, he threw a bullpen on May 17 but continued to feel discomfort.

Arihara, who was signed as a free agent in December, 2020 after six season pitching in Nippon Professional Baseball, is 2-3 with a 6.59 ERA in seven starts with the Rangers this season.

For now, Hyeon-jong Yang is expected to fill Arihara's spot in the starting rotation.

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Published May 22, 2021

CHRIS HALICKE