Magrane to Have Elbow Surgery

Evoking painful Angel memories of Kelly Gruber’s injury after signing a big contract, the team said No. 3 starter Joe Magrane will undergo arthroscopic surgery today on his left elbow, sidelining him for at least two months.

Even before the surgery, the signing of Magrane had been controversial. Whitey Herzog, then the general manager, provided Magrane with a contract that guaranteed $3 million over two years and was worth a potential $13.3 million over four years.

Magrane had sat out all but five games during the 1991 and 1992 seasons while recovering from elbow surgery. He was released last August by the St. Louis Cardinals and was 3-2 with a 3.94 earned-run average with the Angels.

“I’m embarrassed about the whole situation,” Magrane said, “because I honestly felt we were negotiating in good faith at the end of the season. I feel I’ve let a lot of people down.

“Every time you have surgery, you’re concerned. But I honestly believe this is very minor. It’s a lot smarter to have this done now than miss a large part of the season (later). It isn’t like there’s any huge bone chips or spurs in there, it just needs cleaning out.”

Said Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi: “I don’t like to panic unless given reason to panic. But am I concerned? Sure. What we expect is something minor, but that’s not to say they can’t find something else.”