Angels reliever Michael Kohn to have major elbow surgery

MINNEAPOLIS -- What was originally diagnosed as a forearm strain turned out to be a major elbow injury for Angels reliever Michael Kohn, who will undergo ligament replacement surgery Thursday in Florida and will be sidelined for 12 to 18 months.

Kohn, a right-hander who has a 4.01 earned-run average in 38 major league games since 2010, threw five scoreless innings in spring training before being shut down in late March.

After suffering another setback when he tried to play long toss last week, Kohn traveled to Florida to be examined Wednesday by James Andrews, the noted surgeon who will perform Thursday’s procedure on Kohn.

Kohn went 2-0 with a 2.11 ERA in 24 games for the Angels in 2010 but struggled at the start of 2011 and spent most of last season at triple-A Salt Lake.

He was not expected to play a prominent role for the Angels this season, but General Manager Jerry Dipoto said the injury will cut into the organization’s bullpen depth.

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Angels reliever Michael Kohn to have major elbow surgery