MRI Reveals Complete Tear of Scott Lewis’ UCL – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 20, 2003
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Ohio State left-handed pitcher Scott Lewis (So., Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington) sustained a complete tear of his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left arm Friday night against Minnesota when he had to leave the game in the fourth inning. An MRI performed Monday evening revealed the tear.
Lewis is scheduled to get a second opinion Tuesday, May 27, from Birmingham, Ala. orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, who specializes in this type of injury. Surgery likely will be required to repair the tear.
Friday night’s loss for Lewis snapped a 15-game win streak, including nine straight wins to open this season. Lewis leads the conference with a 1.61 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 83 2/3 innings. His nine wins are tied for the most in the Big Ten, while he also leads the league by holding opposing batters to a .160 average. The 2003 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection is one of 12 semifinalists for the Rotary Smith Award, given annually to the top baseball player in NCAA Division I.
Lewis will not travel to Minneapolis for the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Wednesday at Minnesota’s Siebert Field. The Buckeyes have a first-round bye and will begin play Thursday at 4:35 p.m. (EDT) against the higher-seeded winner of the Michigan/Indiana and Penn State/Northwestern games Wednesday.
