Aug. 8 -- SURGERY LIKELY FOR GORDON

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Tom Gordon may need Tommy John surgery.

That ominous diagnosis could be made official Monday when Gordon goes to LA for a second opinion on his balky right elbow from noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lewis Yocum. Gordon, who left a rehab start Wednesday night at single-A Clearwater, saw team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti yesterday and underwent an MRI exam that revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament. Depending on the extent of the damage, Tommy John surgery may be required. Yocum performed that surgery on Gordon on Dec. 13, 1999.

"Right now," athletic trainer Scott Sheridan said this afternoon, "we are not optimistic that he will [pitch again this season]."

That would be a big blow to the Phils' bullpen. Before the season, Charlie Manuel said the bullpen's success hinged on Gordon's sustained health. Now, at age 40, and with a partial tear in his labrum (shoulder), you have to wonder whether Tommy John surgery would end Gordon's 20-year career. Either way, Gordon's tenure with the Phillies may be finished. He's in the final year of a three-year, $18 million contract.

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J.A. Happ was reassigned to triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room for lefty reliever Scott Eyre, who joined the team today. Also, Juan Samuel has been inducted into the Phillies' Wall of Fame. Make sure to check tomorrow's News Journal for more details.