Indians P Westbrook may need surgery

Sep 3, 2008 - 8:29 PM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Cleveland Indians pitcher Jake Westbrook could possibly undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right hip.

Westbrook, who already is recovering from "Tommy John" surgery on his right elbow, has been scheduled to see hip specialist Dr. Thomas Byrd in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday.

Sidelined by the elbow injury since May, Westbrook reportedly has been bothered by hip pain since spring training. But the Indians do not think that potential hip surgery would delay the righthander's comeback for 2009.

"He is three months out from the elbow surgery," Indians head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff told the team's web site on Wednesday. "This would dovetail perfectly into his throwing program."

Westbrook, 30, went 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA in five starts this season.