The Yankees put right-hander Phil Hughes through four hours of testing on Tuesday, including two MRIs and a vascular exam. On Wednesday they ran him through five more hours of testing and did dye-contrast blood work.
Yet here we stand with no real answers.
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, the Yankees are now sending Hughes to a specialist in St. Louis to have him tested for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a nerve and circulatory condition.
If Hughes has TOS, he could require a 12-hour surgery that involves the removal of a rib. Marc Carig of the Newark Star Ledger has been recalling some ballplayers who have undergone the procedure this evening on Twitter. The list includes Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Rockies right-hander Aaron Cook and Rangers left-hander Matt Harrison. The recovery times varied in all three cases.
