MLB notebook: Rangers LHP Perez to miss start of campaign

Texas Rangers left-hander Martin Perez is expected to miss the start of the 2018 season after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his non-pitching elbow.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Thomas Diliberti in Dallas, with Perez expected to be able to start throwing in three to four weeks, the team announced Tuesday.

Perez is in line to be sidelined from game action for approximately four months, which would be a few weeks into the season. Perez posted a 13-12 mark with a 4.82 ERA in 32 starts last season.

The 26-year-old Perez sustained the injury last week following a fall at his ranch in Venezuela, the team announced. The Dallas Morning News reported that the incident involved a bull that startled Perez, causing him to fall on his right elbow.

–Free-agent catcher Nick Hundley agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract to remain with the San Francisco Giants, the team announced.

Hundley, 34, batted .244 with nine homers and 35 RBIs last season while serving as Buster Posey’s backup.

Hundley is hitting .249 for his career with 81 homers and 340 RBIs in 847 games with San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and Giants.

–Free-agent right-hander Yu Darvish posted on social media that he met with representatives from the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

Darvish, who is a four-time All-Star, tweeted a statement in Japanese confirming the meeting amid reports that Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer were in Dallas to speak with him.

Darvish posted a 10-12 mark with a 3.86 ERA in 31 starts combined last season for the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers. The 31-year-old struck out 209 batters over 186 2/3 innings.

–Texas Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels and his wife, Heidi, have embraced the generous mood of the holidays.

The couple announced that it is donating a mansion located in southwest Missouri — which is worth $9,418,400, according to Realtor.com, — and the accompanying 100 acres of land to a charity that provides camps for children with special needs and chronic illnesses.

The donation of the 10-bedroom, 32,000-square foot home was to Camp Barnabas. The mansion is located in Branson, Mo., and offers views of Table Rock Lake. It resides approximately 85 miles away from where Heidi Hamels grew up in Buffalo.