Surgery Could End Season For Cardinals Right-Hander

The news keeps getting worse for the St. Louis Cardinals with regards to a pitcher who was a huge contributor in 2021, but has yet to see the field in 2022. Now it appears that Alex Reyes' season could be over before it begins. 

Cardinals right-hander Alex Reyes will undergo shoulder surgery later this week.

He's coming off an All-Star season in 2021 where he held a 3.24 ERA over 69 appearances in his first year as a reliever. https://t.co/a9IRX7lH14

— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) May 23, 2022

According to Cardinals beat writer John Denton, Reyes needs the surgery to repair a damaged labrum. There's no official word yet on what the recovery timeline would be, but depending on what's being done, labrum corrective surgery generally takes at least three months to heal, and 9-12 months for a full recovery. 

Reyes was shut down over a week ago with shoulder soreness while throwing, news that manager Oliver Marmol called "very discouraging" at the time. 

The 27-year-old was diagnosed in mid-March with a frayed right labrum, and was given about a two-month timeline to return to action. Now, two months later, the news has gotten much worse, and it appears that he will be going under the knife.  

Reyes was the Cardinals' closer for much of the 2021 season, racking up 29 saves and making his first All-Star team. But he struggling in September, to the point that he lost his closer's role. 

He came up as a top prospect in 2016, and appeared to be fulfilling those expectations with a 1.57 ERA and a 4-1 record in five starts. But injuries began to take their toll, and he missed the entire 2017 season. He pitched only 26 innings over the next three seasons, before finally returning full-time in 2021. 

This latest injury news is a terrible break for Reyes and the Cardinals.

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