Cardinals pitcher Alex Reyes to have Tommy John surgery, out for season

Cardinals pitcher Alex Reyes to have Tommy John surgery, out for 2017 season

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Alex Reyes will have season-ending Tommy John surgery after an MRI revealed a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, the team announced.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Reyes will likely have the surgery on Thursday, with surgery being performed by team physician Dr. George Paletta.

Reyes had soreness in the elbow prior to the team reporting for spring training and will also not pitch in next month's World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic.

The 22-year-old Reyes, who is ranked the No. 4 overall prospect by Baseball America, made his major league debut last August and went 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA in five starts. He also made seven relief appearances with his fastball averaging more than 97 mph.

He also strained strained a ligament in his elbow while a minor leaguer in 2013.

The Cardinals missed the playoffs in 2016 with a mark of 86-76 after making the postseason the previous five seasons.

- Scooby Axson