Washington Nationals right-hander Shawn Hill, bothered by arm problems during a promising but injury-plagued season, will miss his final start Wednesday and will have surgery to resolve a nerve problem in his right elbow, the club said Monday. General Manager Jim Bowden said he "absolutely" expects Hill to be ready for spring training. Hill, who went 4-5 with a 3.42 ERA in a season limited to 16 starts, had an MRI exam Monday in Washington, and team orthopedist Ben Shaffer recommended the surgery after examining the results. "His stuff went down a lot his last start," Bowden said in a telephone interview. That night, Hill matched his season high by allowing six runs in a season-low 4 2/3 innings against Philadelphia. Bowden said he went to the clubhouse during the game and talked to Hill after he had been removed.