Injured right fielder Nick Markakis told reporters Sunday he will undergo surgery on his broken left thumb that could speed up his recovery time in hopes of return for the postseason.
On Saturday, manager Buck Showalter spoke about surgery as a definitive season-ending possibility for the Orioles’ leadoff hitter, but the doctor who performed the procedure on Markakis’ right wrist in June took a look at the CT scan and X-rays and determined surgery might actually speed up the initial estimate of a six-week recovery period. Markakis told reporters the procedure would involve the insertion of a T-plate in the top of the thumb and could trim three weeks off the recovery time.
The surgery will be performed by Dr. Brian Schofield, the same surgeon who removed Markakis’ broken hamate bone in his right wrist in early June.
Showalter ruled out any possibility of Markakis returning for the end of the regular season, saying the Orioles would need to make a significant run in the postseason for the right fielder to have any chance at playing again this year.
