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Seth Maness is back in the majors less than nine months after elbow surgery

St Louis Cardinals v Chicago Cubs

CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 13: Seth Maness #43 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 13, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cardinals defeated the Cubs 8-4. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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The Royals announced a flurry of roster moves on Wednesday. The club selected the contracts of relievers Al Albuquerque and Seth Maness from Triple-A Omaha. To create roster space, the Royals designated infielder Christian Colon and 1B/OF Peter O’Brien for assignment and optioned pitcher Jake Junis to Omaha.

Maness, 28, is the big story here. The right-hander is back less than nine months after undergoing primary repair surgery on his right elbow. Primary repair surgery is an alternative to Tommy John surgery that involves “repair and buttressing” of the existing ligament at the bone as opposed to reconstruction of the ligament, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explained in January.

Maness made three rehab appearances with Omaha, giving up a run on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts in six innings. If Maness can stay healthy, the procedure he underwent could become an option for more and more pitchers who may not be able to afford missing one or two years to Tommy John surgery.

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