Cubs reliever Adbert Alzolay goes to endure surgical procedure on his injured arm, tweets Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic. The group continues to be checking out the small print of the process, nevertheless it’s discouraging information for a pitcher who has been out for a couple of months with a flexor pressure.
Alzolay has battled arm points over the past three seasons. He misplaced virtually all the 2022 marketing campaign to a shoulder pressure. The righty missed a couple of weeks final September with a seemingly minor forearm pressure, although the Cubs felt snug sufficient together with his standing to reinstate him for the final couple days of the season.
Within the interim, Alzolay broke by as arguably Chicago’s finest reliever. He labored to a 2.67 ERA throughout 64 innings final season. The Venezuelan pitcher established himself because the Cubs’ nearer, saving 22 video games in 25 makes an attempt. He struck out 26.5% of batters confronted towards a meager 5.1% stroll fee.
The Cubs have been relying on Alzolay to anchor their bullpen once more this season. That didn’t come to go. He bought out to a horrible begin to the yr, surrendering 13 runs (9 earned) over 17 1/3 innings. Opponents related on six homers whereas his strikeout fee dropped by greater than 9 share factors. Alzolay blew 5 leads whereas solely efficiently defending 4 saves and one maintain. His velocity was solely marginally beneath final season’s ranges and there’s no indication he was pitching by any type of discomfort till reporting forearm soreness on Might 13.
Chicago recognized Alzolay’s harm as a flexor pressure. They shut him down solely for a couple of weeks and transferred him to the 60-day injured record. Alzolay started ramping up a pair weeks in the past and began a rehab stint with Triple-A Iowa in late July. He got here out of his third rehab look after sustaining a setback.
The Cubs determine to offer extra element on the process and Alzolay’s timeline subsequent week. An unspecified arm surgical procedure seems as if it could affect his availability for the beginning of subsequent season. If he requires any type of ligament restore, it might put his total ’25 marketing campaign in jeopardy. The 29-year-old is making $2.11MM this season in his first yr of arbitration. He’ll be in line for the same wage in ’25 assuming the Cubs tender him a contract. He’s on monitor without cost company after the 2026 marketing campaign.
