Jonny Venters injury: Braves reliever undergoes Tommy John surgery

Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Jonny Venters underwent Tommy John surgery on Thursday. The surgery to repair his UCL was performed by Dr. James Andrews. The left hander saw Andrews at the beginning of April, and was shut down for a month after that visit.

This is Venters' second Tommy John surgery in eight years, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. His first came after the 2005 season, when Venters was still in the lower rungs of the minor leagues.

The left hander saw Andrews at the beginning of April, and was shut down for a month after that visit. During that period, he received platelet-enriched plasma injections. He began throwing again two weeks ago and attempted to throw off a mound last Thursday. He had to cut that session short after experiencing discomfort. He tried again to pitch off a mound on Friday but after continuing soreness, the two sides clearly agreed to send him to Andrews once more.

Venters, 28, had not pitched in 2013 after leaving a Spring Training game with what was reported as an elbow sprain. The pitcher had been heavily used between 2010-2011, throwing in 164 games with a 1.89 ERA. That usage may have resulted in a down year in 2012, when he had a career worst 3.22 ERA and 1.517 WHIP in 66 games. He missed a few weeks in the middle of last season with elbow inflammation.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, only 10-25% of pitchers who have had two Tommy John surgeries return to their previous performance levels.