Brian Van Belle Injury: Dealing with UCL sprain

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Tuesday that Van Belle's right elbow injury is believed to be a UCL sprain, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Before he was transferred to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Van Belle was initially placed on the 15-day IL on Saturday due to elbow inflammation. A recent MRI has revealed a sprain, and Van Belle now faces the possibility of requiring the second Tommy John surgery of his career. According to Cash, Van Belle plans to consult with Dr. Keith Meister over the next 3-to-4 weeks before a decision is made regarding whether he'll treat the injury through rest and rehab or undergo Tommy John surgery or another type of elbow procedure. Acquired from the Reds ahead of the trade deadline, Van Belle received his first call-up to the Rays on Aug. 22 and made four multi-inning relief appearances before landing on the shelf.