NEW YORK — Catcher Tyler Flowers will have exploratory surgery on his right shoulder Thursday and will miss the rest of the season, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Monday.
Flowers, 27, who lost the starting job to Josh Phegley at mid-season, started in Sunday’s game against the Red Sox in Boston and hit a long home run to left field, his 10th of the season.
The shoulder, which has affected Flowers’ throwing, Ventura said, first became an issue exactly a year ago, Flowers told a pool reporter by phone Monday.
Flowers batted .195 with 25 RBI. He will be out three to six months, Ventura said. Flowers has had the shoulder examined by three doctors in the last year, he said, most recently on the team’s last home stand.
“There’s enough in there they feel they want to go in and he wants to get it checked out,’’ Ventura said.
It’s possible Flowers has played his last game with the Sox, who favor Phegley and might explore trading him during the offseason.
“I think he can [be a No. 1 catcher],’’ Ventura said. “Defensively he’s been what you wanted and calls a great game. Offensively it’s been a down year. He’s going to have to fight his way back offensively to be that guy. His potential is there to do it.’’
Flowers said the pain at times was extreme.
“The starting job was definitely a driving force to exhaust every option I could,” he said. “I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity and did everything to avoid missing out.”
The Sox brought up catcher Bryan Anderson from AAA Charlotte and will also bring up Miguel Gonzalez, who played at AA Birmingham and Charlotte, on Tuesday.
Pitchers Erik Johnson and Daniel Webb and infielder Marcus Semien are expected Tuesday as September call-ups as well.
