Blue Jays get good news on Dustin McGowan

Toronto Blue Jays confirmed Thursday that pitcher Dustin McGowan underwent successful surgery on his injured right shoulder.

He will be shelved eight to nine months.

McGowan, 26, needed only a debridement to clean up a frayed labrum and not reconstructive rotator cuff surgery, which would have sidelined him much longer.

He will begin a throwing program in four months and, hopefully, resume pitching next March or April.

"It is encouraging news," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "He should be ready for spring training.

"We might have to bring him along a little bit slower. But everything looked good, went good."

McGowan hasn't pitched since he experienced intense pain in the shoulder and left in the fourth inning of a 7-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on July 8.

"It really started barking on me," he said afterward. "It just went a little overboard."

McGowan posted a 6-7 record with a 4.37 earned-run average and one complete game in 19 starts this season, his fourth in the major leagues.

The right-hander is 20-22 with a 4.71 ERA and three complete games in 75 appearances (56 starts) since he debuted with the Blue Jays on July 30, 2005.