Cardinals' Reyes expected out for season after surgery
St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Alex Reyes is facing a second straight lost year after needing surgery Wednesday to reattach a tendon in his right lat.
Reyes is expected to miss the remainder of the season following the procedure, which carries a recovery timetable of six months.
"We've been told by doctors they expect him to be fully recovered," general manager Michael Girsch told reporters
Reyes, who missed all of 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, pitched in the majors for the first time in 20 months against the Milwaukee Brewers last Wednesday. He went four scoreless innings and gave up three hits and two walks while striking out two, though he showed noticeable fatigue despite throwing only 73 pitches.
The next day, the Cardinals placed the 23-year-old on the 10-day disabled list with what was termed a "significant" right lat strain. Girsch described the injury as "uncommon," saying that the lat "wasn't completely torn off, which means there was good blood flow, which means they're very optimistic for recovery."
The decision for Reyes to undergo surgery was made after an MRI in Philadelphia on Wednesday confirmed it was needed.
"The longer you wait, the more problematic it becomes," Girsch said. "We don't know how this progressed. No one knows quite how this progressed. It's hard to speculate when along the path it became a significant issue."
Reyes, among the top prospects in all of baseball, made his major league debut in 2016, posting a 1.57 ERA in 12 games (five starts).
--Field Level Media
