Choo may be on his way to a quick recovery, not surgery

Cleveland Indians outfielder Choo Shin-soo might recover from his sprained right thumb earlier than expected.

According to the team’s Web site, Choo was examined by hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham yesterday and no ligament tear was discovered. Choo is not likely to need surgery, which would have sidelined him for roughly two months. Team officials will have to wait approximately 10 days before they can further assess Choo’s recovery time.

Choo injured his right thumb while diving in an attempt to catch Jack Crust’s hit at the top of the eighth inning in the game against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.

Coming off of a breakout season in which he batted .300 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI last year, Choo has been the top hitter for the Indians this season, batting .286 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI.