Cubs reliever Adbert Alzolay will undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his 2024 season and placing his 2025 campaign in jeopardy with extended rehab, the team announced.
There is no timetable for Alzolay's return. Manager Craig Counsell responded "Long," when asked about his timeline. He won't pitch in 2024 and his chances of pitching in 2025 are not yet known. But the UCL reconstructive surgery is a long, arduous battle, usually taking 12 to 14 months to recover.
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"He's certainly made a big effort to come back and put a lot of work in trying to pitch this year," Counsell said. "In the end, he tried and it was not possible to do it. He's gotta get this fixed and go down the rehab route and get strong and ready to pitch again."
Initially, Alzolay earned a diagnosis of a flexor strain in his right elbow. The news gave him and the Cubs hope they could avoid surgery. Alzolay had shown progress after a couple of rehab games with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), but a rehab outing in Triple-A Iowa forced them to reconsider.
Alzolay has been on the injury list since mid-May. He pitched through tightness against the Pirates on May 12 before hitting the injured list. He last pitched on July 27 before noticing his injury wasn't recovering well between outings.
In 18 games with the Cubs in the major leagues this season, Alzolay held a 4.67 ERA through 17.1 innings. He finished 11 games for the North Side, earning four saves along the way. He struck out 13 batters while walking six, and held a 1.442 WHIP.
