Kyle Lohse undergoes forearm surgery

Kyle Lohse underwent surgery “fascial release surgery” of his right forearm in Los Angeles on Friday, according to a team press release.

Lohse complained of forearm discomfort following last Saturday’s start and was diagnosed with “exertional compartment syndrome” earlier this week, a rare condition in which the sheath covering a muscle fails to allow it to expand. I’m not going to pretend I know what that means, so let’s just move on.

Lohse will begin physical therapy in a week, but because of the unique nature of the condition, there’s no clear indication of when he’ll be able to return to the mound. Eariler this week, sources told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Lohse could possibly miss the rest of the season, while Cardinals manager Tony La Russa provided Matthew Leach of MLB.com with a slightly more optimistic estimate.

“This is supposed to be a new and different kind of deal, but I was told with the length of time we’re dealing with, it should be before August,” manager Tony La Russa said.

Lohse, 31, is 1-4 with a 5.89 ERA through his first nine starts this season.