Cubs right-hander Adbert Alzolay is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, manager Craig Counsell revealed on Wednesday.
Counsell did not have a timetable for Alzolay’s return, but Tommy John surgery recovery typically lasts at least 12-14 months for pitchers, putting even a return next season in question for Alzolay.
“He certainly made a big effort to come back, and put a lot of work into trying to pitch this year,” Counsell said. In the end, he tried, and it was not possible to do it, and so he's got to go get this fixed and go down the rehab route and get strong and ready to pitch again.”
Alzolay last pitched in a rehab game on July 27, and once it was clear that he wasn’t recovering between outings the way the team had hoped, he began seeking doctors’ opinions to determine the path forward.
He’d been on the injured list since mid-May.
