Pitcher Jesse Hahn thinks Royals caught his UCL injury early

If there is such a thing as a silver lining to placing a pitcher on the 60-day disabled list, Jesse Hahn thinks he has one.

The Kansas City Royals placed Hahn on the 60-day DL Tuesday with a right ulnar collateral ligament sprain. According to Royals reporter Rustin Dodd of The Athletic, Hahn experienced discomfort after his last spring outing. The plan for now is for him to rest and then begin a throwing program.

The club is also sending Hahn's images to Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion. Hahn had a similar injury in 2015 that didn't require surgery. He thinks they caught this one earlier, too.

— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) March 6, 2018

A UCL injury could eventually lead to Tommy John surgery, which Hahn has undergone in the past. But the good news is he thinks the team caught the injury early this time, which could help him avoid surgery.

The Royals acquired Hahn in a trade with the A’s in late January. The 28-year-old went 3-6 with a 5.30 ERA last season but is 18-20 with a 4.21 ERA for his career.