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Vicente Padilla to undergo surgery

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And then there were five.

Vicente Padilla will undergo surgery on his pitching arm on Thursday to release a nerve that is entrapped by one of the deep muscles in his forearm.

The Dodgers have not set a timetable for his return.

The opening-day starter last season, Padilla was re-signed to add depth to the pitching staff. He was expected to begin the season as a long reliever and viewed as a potential starter or closer.

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Padilla gave the Dodgers six established starters, compared with the four they had when they started last season. Barring another injury, the club will head into the season with a rotation consisting of Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Jon Garland.

The Dodgers were aware that Padilla was a serious medical risk, as he was limited to 16 starts last season because of arm and neck problems. His contract reflected that, as he will earn a base salary of $2 million. The deal is incentives-heavy, as he can earn an additional $8 million in bonuses as a starter or an extra $6.8 million as a reliever.

Padilla missed two months early last season because of related nerve problems in his arm.

-- Dylan Hernandez in Phoenix

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