JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - An offspeed pitch during a pre-spring training bullpen session effectively ended Alex Reyes' season before it began.
The St. Louis Cardinals said Wednesday the 22-year-old right-hander will have Tommy John surgery to replace a ruptured elbow ligament in his pitching arm.
"I was throwing a side at home and I felt something different," Reyes said. "It was just kind of a pain throughout my elbow that I hadn't felt before."
Reyes took a pre-spring training physical Tuesday, was sent for an MRI and received preliminary results that evening.
St. Louis forwarded the exam results to Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Reyes could have surgery as early as today. Cardinals head orthopedic physician Dr. George Paletta will operate.
"It sucks just to go through this and miss an entire season," Reyes said, "but if those are things that have to happen to get back on the field at 100 percent, that's what I have to do."
Reyes said preparation to play for the Dominican Republic in next month's World Baseball Classic did not cause him to alter his offseason routine.
Reyes made his major league debut last Aug. 9 and was 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA in five starts and seven relief appearances.
"Every time we gave him an opportunity he impressed us, whether it was how he performed or how he responded," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "There was a maturity. His stuff was pretty easy to see. You're talking a pretty impressive package just all the way together."
Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez and Lance Lynn are projected as the first three St. Louis starters.