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Padres’ Dinelson Lamet starts PRP therapy on injured elbow

Padres General Manager A.J. Preller watched as Dinelson Lamet throws during a workout at Globe Life Field last week.
Padres General Manager A.J. Preller watched as Dinelson Lamet throws during a workout at Globe Life Field before the National League Division Series.
(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Right-hander begins treatment after attempting to come back during postseason

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Dinelson Lamet has begun treatment on his elbow that team sources and others familiar with the situation expect will have him ready to pitch again well before spring training.

The Padres right-hander, who will likely finish among the top three in National League Cy Young voting, was seen by another specialist Monday and began platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, three sources confirmed. According to one source, there are “no ligament issues” to be concerned about with Lamet. Another source confirmed that was the general conclusion of multiple specialists.

PRP therapy involves injections of a patient’s blood platelets to speed up recovery.

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Lamet left his Sept. 25 start and was unavailable to pitch in the Padres’ two playoff series. The team initially referred to Lamet’s injury as biceps tightness, but there was concern about the elbow from the start. Symptoms of biceps and elbow injuries can manifest in similar ways.

Lamet, who had Tommy John surgery in 2018, had continued to play catch with an eye toward returning during the postseason.

Lamet finished third in the NL in ERA (2.09), second in WHIP (0.86) and fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (12.13).

Not having Lamet and Mike Clevinger left the Padres’ pitching staff greatly diminished. The team ended up using relief pitchers for 41 2/3 of 52 innings in its six postseason games.

Clevinger, who posted a 2.84 ERA in 19 regular season innings after being acquired from Cleveland in an Aug. 31 trade, has a posterior elbow impingement.

No definite plan has been established for Clevinger, who left his NL Division Series start after one inning. He is expected to undergo further examination this week after not throwing since Tuesday.

He spoke after his last start about adjusting his mechanics and “getting my body more bilaterally equal” as part of the recovery. Others close to the situation have mentioned arthroscopic surgery to clean up the elbow with the presumption being he also would recover in plenty of time for spring training.

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