ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Kansas City Royals say reliever Luke Hochevar had surgery Tuesday in St. Louis to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome.
The procedure included a scalenectomy, which repairs a muscle in the front of the neck.
Hochevar, a 32-year-old right-hander, is expected to need six months to recover. The Royals hope he will be ready for spring training.
The first overall selection by the Royals in the 2006 draft, Hochevar missed all of 2014 after Tommy John surgery. He appeared in 49 regular-season games last season, then pitched 10 2/3 shutout innings and won two postseason games to help Kansas City win the World Series.
Hochevar last pitched on July 24 against Texas. He reported swelling in his hand last Thursday and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
He was 2/3 with a 3.86 ERA in 40 appearances this season.