Major League Baseball

Twins release Zumaya with elbow surgery up next

Published Mar. 28, 2012 6:22 p.m. ET

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The Minnesota Twins released injured right-hander Joel Zumaya on Wednesday to make room on their 40-man roster.

Zumaya was trying to revive his career after missing the 2011 season because of elbow problems, but the hard-throwing reliever hurt the joint again during his first bullpen session of spring training with his new team, tearing the ulnar collateral ligament. Zumaya was scheduled for Tommy John surgery Thursday and will need a year to recover.

''We're going to make roster spots. It's as simple as that,'' general manager Terry Ryan said. ''He understood. I told him when he left that eventually I'm probably going to need the spot, and eventually I will need the spot.''

After a standout rookie year with the Detroit Tigers in 2006, Zumaya has not been able to pitch more than 39 innings in any season since because of arm injuries.

He signed a one-year contract with the Twins for $850,000, and Ryan said the Twins owe Zumaya all of that. There was language in the deal that limited the guarantee to $400,000, but that only applied if Zumaya was healthy and didn't make the team, Ryan said.

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