MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Dodgers pitcher Vicente Padilla is recovering from a bullet wound in his leg after a target shooting instructor accidentally shot him.
Dr. Eduardo Reguera said Padilla, who signed with the Dodgers in August, didn’t need surgery after spending time at Managua’s Metropolitan Hospital.
Police spokesman Vilma Reyes said Wednesday that Padilla’s pistol apparently jammed during a target shooting session late Tuesday.
Padilla handed the pistol to a shooting instructor, a former police captain, who didn’t realize there was a bullet in the chamber and shot himself in his hand, Padilla’s legal adviser Roberto Calderon said. The bullet also grazed Padilla’s leg.
The account contradicts Padilla’s agent, Adam Katz, who told the Los Angeles Times that it was a “hunting accident.”
Padilla went 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA for the Dodgers the final two months of the regular season. He allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings in Game 2 of the NLCS, but was battered for six runs in three innings in a season-ending loss to the Phillies.
Lilly undergoes shoulder surgery
CHICAGO — Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly, who’s been one of the team’s most consistent starters the last three seasons, had surgery on his left shoulder and no timetable has been set for his return.
The Cubs said the arthroscopy and debridement procedure performed Tuesday by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles revealed no major damage to Lilly’s shoulder. Yocum performed a washout and clean-up of the shoulder during the one-hour surgery.
Lilly, who was 12-9 with a 3.10 ERA in 27 starts this season, said he was told initially he might not be able to start throwing for four months, depending on how well his rehab progresses.
“That could change one way or the other. My intention is to try to get back as fast as I can without setting myself back,” Lilly said.
The Cubs are hoping he can join the rotation sometime in April.
Inge has surgery on knees
DETROIT — Tigers all-star third baseman Brandon Inge has undergone surgery on both knees.
The procedure Tuesday involved the repair of the patellar tendon in both knees. Inge, who hit .230 with 27 home runs and 84 RBIs, is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.
