ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Anaheim Angels first baseman Mo Vaughn
may miss the entire season while recuperating from surgery Tuesday
to repair a ruptured biceps tendon in his left arm.
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| 2000 SEASON
STATISTICS |
| AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
AVG. |
| 614 |
93 | 167 |
36 | 117 |
.272 | |
|
"Due to the nature and complexity of the surgery, the
rehabilitation involved and all the elements required toward a full
recovery, we are not anticipating Mo's return in 2001," Angels
general manager Bill Stoneman said.
Dr. Bernard Morrey, assisted by Angels medical director Dr.
Lewis Yocum, performed reconstructive surgery on Vaughn's distal
biceps tendon and repaired the biceps muscle in a 2½-hour procedure
at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
"He had a complete disruption of the biceps mechanism," Morrey
said. "It was a complex and difficult surgery that went very well.
At this point, we are optimistic."
The 33-year-old Vaughn was scheduled to remain at the Mayo
Clinic overnight before returning to his Easton, Mass., home on
Wednesday. The Angels said he would be re-evaluated in a few weeks
at spring training in Tempe, Ariz.
The Angels announced Jan. 17 that Vaughn would require the
operation, and said at that time that rehabilitation was expected
to take a minimum of six months, meaning he wouldn't play before
August at the earliest.
Vaughn, who said three weeks ago he had experienced pain in his
arm the previous six months, hit .272 with 36 homers and 117 RBI
last year. Vaughn, who signed an $80 million, six-year contract
with the Angels in November 1998, was referred to Morrey by Yocum.
Eight days after making the announcement on Vaughn, the Angels
signed veteran Wally Joyner as a potential replacement at first
base. They also signed power hitting outfielder-designated hitter
Jose Canseco as a free agent last month.
Joyner hit .281 with five home runs and 32 RBI as a backup at
first base to Andres Galarraga with the Atlanta Braves last season.
He has a .290 average with 201 homers and 1,092 RBI in 15 seasons.
Vaughn played six full seasons and parts of two others with the
Boston Red Sox before joining the Angels. He has a lifetime batting
average of .298 with 299 homers and 977 RBIs in 1,346 games.
He was the AL's Most Valuable Player in 1995, when he hit .300
with 39 homers and a league-leading 126 RBI. He hit .326 with
career-high totals of 44 homers and 143 RBI in 1996; .315 with 35
homers and 95 RBI in 1997, and a career-high .337 with 40 homers
and 115 RBI in 1998.
Vaughn sprained his ankle in the first inning of his first game
with the Angels in April 1999 and was slowed the rest of the
season, but still hit .281 with 33 homers and 108 RBI.
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