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Oakland A's rumors: Hector Olivera may require Tommy John surgery, per reports

The injury could open the door for the Oakland A's to take a chance on Olivera for the 2016 season.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Cuban infielder Hector Olivera may require Tommy John Surgery to replace a damaged ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports:

Serious concern exists that Cuban infielder Hector Olivera has a damaged ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm, potentially hindering the market for a free agent who many expected to contribute in the major leagues this season, sources told Yahoo Sports.

Analysis

If the A's remain interested in Olivera, this injury could be to the benefit of the A's efforts to sign him. The A's seem to be set at the moment on the infield with Ben Zobrist taking the bulk of second base duties. The A's have not been against signing pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery, with them signing Eric O'Flaherty in 2014 to a deal structured to anticipate his absence for the first half of last season. At the right price they could sign a position player dealing with the same issues.

Update: Olivera's representatives "vehemently deny" reports of elbow problems

MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez and Baseball America's Ben Badler report that representatives of Olivera deny the reports of throwing elbow trouble.