SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Colorado Rockies reliever Jairo Diaz needs Tommy John elbow surgery and will be sidelined for the 2016 season.
Diaz said Monday he felt something in his right arm while facing the last couple of hitters during Saturday's game against San Diego, when he struggled with his control. Diaz then glanced down at his elbow wrapped in ice and said, "Then this happened."
The hard-throwing Diaz spent much of last season in Triple-A and was a candidate to secure a late-innings role with the Rockies this year.
The 24-year-old says he will likely have surgery in a couple weeks to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Rehab usually takes a year or more.