Sirotka

TORONTO – Blue Jays pitcher Mike Sirotka, acquired in a disputed trade with the Chicago White Sox, will undergo season-ending surgery on his injured left shoulder.

Sirotka, who never threw a pitch after being traded from Chicago to Toronto in January in the David Wells deal, will be out for 7-to-12 months.

"Obviously, this is not the outcome that any of us would have liked, especially me," Sirotka said. "I'm going to miss being on the field.

"But at the same time, I'm in good condition, I'm relatively young and I really feel that I have many, many years ahead of me."

The surgery will be performed by Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala., probably next Tuesday.

Sirotka, who turns 30 next month, had been expected to be Toronto's ace after going 15-10 last season with the White Sox.

"Despite Mike's hard work, both on the field and in the clubhouse, he's going to have to undergo exploratory surgery," Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash said Wednesday.

Sirotka tried to come back this season with the help of a rehabilitation program. But he made the decision Tuesday night that the rehab wasn't working and that he needed to shut it down for the year and have the surgery.

The White Sox sent Sirotka, pitchers Kevin Beirne and Mike Williams and outfielder Brian Simmons to Toronto for 20-game winner Wells and pitcher Matt DeWitt.

After learning that Sirotka and Williams couldn't pitch because of shoulder injuries, the Blue Jays asked commissioner Bud Selig to rescind or alter the deal.

Selig upheld the trade, saying the Blue Jays were responsible for checking out the health of the players it wanted to acquire. He used the Latin phrase for "buyer beware" in a 14-page ruling last month.

"When I was throwing in December I definitely knew something was wrong," Sirotka said. "Any time I put significant effort into throwing, I feel significant pain."

The White Sox later took back Williams in a deal for DeWitt.