Royals pitcher Tim Collins out for season after Tommy John surgery

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Tim Collins will miss the upcoming season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Tim Collinswill miss the upcoming season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on Wednesday.

Royals manager Ned Yost said he believes the injury was a "complete tear," according to MLB.com.

Collins has spent the last four seasons with Kansas City. He returned to the team this offseason on a one-year contract reportedly worth $1.475 million.

Collins suffered an elbow strain last April and pitched only 21.0 innings during the 2014 season.

During his first three seasons (2011-13), Collins recorded a 3.51 ERA while appearing in at least 65 games each season.

"It’s obviously very disappointing," general manager Dayton Moore said, according to The Kansas City Star. "Timmy’s been a very important part of our bullpen. We expected him to have a terrific year. So it’s a disappointment. We’re just going to have to cover it."

Kansas City opens the season on April 6 against the Chicago White Sox.

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