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BRUCE ASATO / BASATO@STARADVERTISER.COM
UH pitcher Quintin Torres-Costa has a small ligament tear in his throwing elbow.
Hawaii left-hander Quintin Torres-Costa will have Tommy John surgery on his left elbow and will likely miss the entire 2014 season.
Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso confirmed the news over the phone on Thursday night, saying the decision was made this week after a follow-up MRI revealed no improvement on a partial ligament tear suffered in early March.
Recovery time from the procedure is approximately one year.
The Rainbows (11-31, 6-12 Big West) are in Long Beach, Calif., preparing for a series against the Dirtbags (22-24, 9-9) that begins Friday at Blair Field.
Torres-Costa pitched twice this year and became the first pitcher under Trapasso to also hit in a game he started.
He singled and was hit by a pitch in his three at-bats. He suffered the elbow injury during batting practice prior to a game in Las Vegas the next week.
He will redshirt this season and can earn a medical hardship year if he sits out all of next season.
Hawaii, which traveled 24 out of a maximum 27 players on its current road trip, will also be without backup catcher Tyler Young, who is dealing with pain in his throwing arm.
Trapasso said Young will have an MRI done either next Monday or Tuesday when the team returns home.
