Kip Wells has a blood clot near his right arm, and it could lead to surgery that keeps him out of the Pirates' lineup all season. General manager Dave Littlefield yesterday announced Wells has "100 percent blockage" of the axillary-subclavian vein, the primary blood vessel from the chest to the arms and neck. The clot typically is treated first with anticoagulants and, to prevent recurrence, surgery that removes any bone compressing the vein. It was not immediately known if Wells has any bone compressing the vein, but that is highly common in such situations. If he does and elects to have surgery, precedent shows he will need five to eight months to fully recover.