Seranthony Dominguez ‘hoping for a miracle’ to avoid Tommy John surgery

Seranthony Dominguez will travel this week to Alabama for a second opinion on his sore right elbow, knowing that the odds of his pitching again this season are not in his favor.

“I’m hoping for a miracle,” said Dominguez, who will meet Thursday or Friday with renowned orthopedist James Andrews. “Because I don’t want to lose too much time. I know what Tommy John means. It’s a long recovery process. I want to help this team now. I don’t want to lose too much time. But after that second opinion, if they tell me that that’s what I have to do, then I have no choice.”

Dominguez has been out since leaving a game on June 5 with an injured right ulnar collateral ligament. The injury could be enough, general manager Matt Klentak said last week, for Dominquez to require Tommy John surgery. Dominguez said he felt discomfort in his elbow during the team’s recent West Coast road trip, but dismissed it as “just a little tightness.”

“But the day that I got on the mound, I had to exit the game, and I knew it was something more and there was something serious,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez is one of seven Phillies relievers on the injured list. Only Edubray Ramos, who began a rehab assignment high-A Clearwater, seems imminently close to returning. Pat Neshek (strained shoulder) played catch Monday afternoon and will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday. Tommy Hunter (strained forearm) threw against minor-league hitters Monday morning at the team’s complex in Florida, but does not have a rehab assignment scheduled.

Jay Bruce was named the National League’s Player of the Week on Monday for the week of June 3-9. In six games in that stretch since he was acquired from the Mariners, he hit four home runs and drove in 11 runs, and batted .381. He is the first Phillies player to receive the award since Carlos Ruiz in 2014 and the first Phillies player to earn a weekly award — pitcher or player of the week — in his first week with the team since Paul Byrd in 1998. ... Roman Quinn, who is batting exclusively right-handed after being a switch-hitter, began a rehab assignment Monday night with high-A Clearwater. “I think he feels pretty close to being ready,” Gabe Kapler said. ... Jake Arrieta will start Tuesday against Arizona right-hander Jon Duplantier.