Minnesota Twins right-hander Tyler Mahle will have Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the 2023 season as well as the start of 2024, manager Rocco Baldelli said Thursday.
He will undergo the procedure after an MRI showed issues with the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the procedure in the next two weeks.
Mahle was shut down April 30 after tests revealed a posterior impingement and flexor pronator strain in his pitching elbow. He went on the injured list May 3 and then was moved to the 60-day IL.
The 28-year-old Mahle said he could have rehabbed and come back this season, but he was told by doctors that the same issues would occur again. He said he was surprised by the final diagnosis because he didn't feel the usual symptoms related to needing Tommy John surgery. He said he felt a pinch on full extension, one reason for the diminished velocity.
"It was an easy decision just because it was so obvious after the second opinion," Mahle said Thursday. "It was so obvious what I should do for, you know, my longevity and my future and just health. I wasn't going to be able to come back this year and pitch effectively."
Mahle is 1-2 with a 3.16 ERA in five starts this season. The right-hander was acquired at the trade deadline from Cincinnati last year for three prospects -- Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Steve Hajjar.
Shoulder issues sidelined Mahle after he arrived in Minnesota, and he spent time on the injured list. In nine starts for the Twins, he has left the game three times because of injury.
"These are difficult conversations and I feel for Tyler more than anything," Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said. "You go through this, you plan, you rehab, you get your shoulder right where it needs to be, you're in a good spot. And then something else pops up and it's obviously impactful to his career. We're fully supportive of this decision for him and want to help him in the next phase of what comes next."
He signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract with the Twins in January. He will become a free agent after this season.
Overall, Mahle is 33-41 with a 4.30 ERA in 123 games with the Reds and Twins.
The Twins have traded aggressively to try to upgrade their starting pitching over the last two years, with mixed results.
Chris Paddack, who came in a trade last year with San Diego for closer Taylor Rogers and outfielder Brent Rooker, made five starts in 2022 before being shut down with an elbow injury and needing Tommy John surgery. He's not expected back until late this season.
Sonny Gray and Pablo Lopez have yielded sterling results for the Twins, but they came with a steep price too. Gray was acquired before last season from Cincinnati for 2021 first-round draft pick Chase Petty. Lopez came from Miami for 2022 American League batting champion Luis Arraez.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.