PHOENIX— Arizona Diamondbacks ace Brandon Webb will not have surgery on his ailing pitching shoulder.

Webb made the decision Wednesday after meeting with team doctors and three other physicians.
The 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner, who won 56 games from 2006-08, has been sidelined since opening day. He will begin a regimen to strengthen the shoulder but isn’t expected to throw for several weeks, and the club has not announced a timetable for his return.
Webb’s decision to forgo surgery was first reported by mlb.com.
“After meeting with several doctors, ’Webby’ has decided to proceed with a conservative course of treatment,” Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes said in an e-mail message. “We are optimistic that this will give him the best chance to return to pitching.”