Ricky Romero struggled during the 2012 season and it turns out he was pitching hurt.

He had arthroscopic surgery two weeks ago to "clean up" scar tissue that had built up in his left elbow.

Romero admitted he pitched through an unusual soreness on the outside of his elbow through most of the season.

"Did it have any impact? I will never know, but I'm not going to make any excuses about the bad year," he said. "… I stunk and that's it."

Omar Infante broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the World Series.

Infante went down immediately after a pitch by Giants reliever Santiago Casilla came inside and he couldn't avoid it. He took off his batting glove and walked toward the dugout.

The Tigers sent Danny Worth in to pinch run.

"He was obviously in a lot of pain," Jim Leyland said. "Obviously when you get hit with one like that, plus the cold weather, that's a tough take. But he's got a long time to recuperate, obviously."

Carl Crawford regrets having waited until July to have reconstructive elbow surgery, but says that he did so because he felt extreme pressure to play hurt while with the Red Sox.

Crawford underwent Tommy John surgery in July, a month before he was traded to the Dodgers.

He realized he was seriously injured in April, when he could barely throw the ball from left field.

"I tried to push it a little bit. With the Boston fans, you've got to try. A big deal was made about my money and stuff, so I tried to prove it and play for the team," Crawford said. "Maybe I shouldn't have done that, I should have taken care of myself when the doctor told me to."

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says Ryan Zimmerman had arthroscopic surgery Thursday on his right shoulder and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.

Rizzo says Zimmerman "will be full go" in six weeks.

While it is still "probable" Mariano Rivera will pitch for the next season, the man is having second thoughts about possibly retiring, sources tell ESPN New York.

After tearing his ACL in Kansas City in early May, Rivera vowed that he would return in 2013.

Now, with his 43rd birthday next month, Rivera has the familiar tug that he has carried for many years of possibly wanting to stay home with his family and call it a career.

Rivera has yet to inform the Yankees of his final intentions, according to sources.

Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia was seen by Dr. James Andrews today in Birmingham, Ala. Dr. Andrews performed arthroscopic surgery on Sabathia’s left elbow to remove a small bone spur.  
 
Sabathia is expected to fully recover prior to the start of the of the 2013 regular season.
  

The Twins have confirmed that they want to keep Scott Baker, who is just seven months removed from Tommy John surgery.

There has been mutual interest all year.

Minnesota placed Baker on the disabled list on March 27. He went 8-6 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 appearances during the 2011 season.

Matt Kemp was "surprised and definitely disappointed" to learn the extent of the damage to his left shoulder after undergoing surgery earlier this month.

However, he expects to be ready to play by Opening Day 2013.

"I wish it just would have been a cleanup and taken six weeks," Kemp said. "They actually had to go repair some things. Now, I think it's going to be closer to January before I'm getting to hit and do a lot of other things."

He injured the shoulder banging into a wall in Colorado on Aug. 28. He batted .214 with 15 RBIs in 28 games after hurting his shoulder.

While the expectation was that Michael Pineda would be ready to pitch for the Yankees by spring training, but Brian Cashman now says that he may not appear on a Major League mound until June.

Pineda had surgery to repair a torn labrum, an injury that sometimes takes two years to completely heal.

Indians infielder Matt LaPorta has had surgery on his left hip, according to an Associated Press report.

LaPorta will need three to four months to recover and is expected to be unrestricted for the beginning of exhibition play.