Exploratory surgery Tuesday in Birmingham, Ala., discovered the worst for Butler native and Boston Red Sox pitcher Matt Clement.

Dr. James Andrews, a renowned sports orthopedist, performed the surgery on Clement, who had not pitched since mid-June. The 32-year-old hurler had experienced repeated setbacks while trying to complete a rehabilitative throwing program since then.

"Nobody could figure out what was going on. ... Matt didn't know what was going on,"said Clement's agent, Barry Axelrod.

An MRI on Clement's shoulder in June revealed nothing. When Clement had to shut down a bullpen session last week in Toronto after fewer than 10 pitches, a second MRIwas performed, but nothing was found.

Andrews decided to perform exploratory surgery to get a better look.

What showed he found was a torn labrum and damaged rotator cuff — the same type of surgery Andrews performed on NFLquarterback Drew Brees last winter.

"Brees signed a $50 million contract three months later,"Axelrod said. "That's the best-case scenario in terms of a comeback after surgery of that magnitude."

Clement will be coming back as well. The question is when. Normal recovery time for the injury is 12 to 18 months.

"The good news is that this isn't career threatening,"said Paul Clement, Matt's father. "Once he's able to throw again, the rehabilitative work is up to Matt.

"It just hit him so hard. He was hoping to pitch during this final week — now this. I have no doubt he's going to work hard to get back."

Axelrod wouldn't offer an opinion as to Clement's mound availability in 2007. The Red Sox owe Clement $9.5 million next season, the last in his three-year contract with the team.

"It's too early to tell, and I'm not qualified to make a guess anyway,"Axelrod said. "But I spoke with Dr. Andrews and he was patting himself on the back pretty good over the job he did on Matt.

"The first thing Matt asked him after the surgery was if he was done, if he'd ever be able to pitch again. The doctor's answer was:'Absolutely.'"

That answer is good enough for Clement's father.

"Dr. Andrews is the absolute best at this procedure,"Paul Clement said. "All of the athletes, nationwide, go to him for this sort of thing."

Clement is 87-86 with a 4.47 earned run average in an eight-year major league career. He was 5-5 with a 6.61 ERA in 12 starts this year.

He has dropped 10 of 18 decisions with the Red Sox since beginning the 2005 season 10-1 and pitching in the All-Star Game that year.

"Struggling the way he was and not having an answer for it was like being in jail without knowing why or knowing when you were going to get out,"Axelrod said.

"The biggest positive in this is that Matt has those answers now. He knows there was a physical reason for his struggles and he has a bit of a timetable for when this will be over."

That timetable will require patience. Clement will not be permitted to throw a baseball until after Jan. 1. He flew back to Boston Thursday night and began therapy on his shoulder Friday morning.

Red Sox assistant trainer Mike Reinold, a former assistant to Andrews in Birmingham, will oversee Clement's recovery.

"Dr. Andrews said (Reinold) knows the pace of rehabbing this surgery better than anyone,"Axelrod said. "Matt will try to push this. He'll try to accelerate the process. That's why you have a trainer, to make sure he doesn't push too hard."

Paul Clement said his son "was treated horribly in Boston by fans and media members. They have no appreciation for what he went through this year."

Axelrod admitted Clement's toughness was questioned by Red Sox followers — even by a few teammates — when no one knew why the rest-and-rehab prescription wasn't working all season.

"Some of his teammates thought he should have just toughed his way through it, just go out to the mound and pitch,"Axelrod said. "I hate to use the word vindication, but in a way, Matt has that now."

Clement had made at least 30 starts in each of the past seven years before this season, averaging more than 200 innings pitched during that span.

"He took a lot of pride in that,"Paul Clement said. "Questioning his toughness really hurt."

Axelrod agreed.

"Dr. Andrews was amazed Matt was even able to throw a ball once he got in and saw the condition of his shoulder," he said. "He referred to Matt as 'one tough cookie.' Matt is such a well-conditioned athlete that the MRIs didn't show anything.

"He wasn't trying to fool the doctors, but he did."

Now he'll begin the long road back.

"Regardless of what happens from this point, Matt's had a great career,"Paul Clement said. "The last 12 years, he's led a fairy-tale life. I know he wants more. I know he'll be back."

Matt Clement could not be reached for comment Friday.