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St. Louis Cardinals LHP Marco Gonzales Out for Season with Tommy John Surgery

By Patrick Karraker

Sep 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Marco Gonzales (56) throws to a Washington Nationals batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Marco Gonzales (56) throws to a Washington Nationals batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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The St. Louis Cardinals’ depth continues to evaporate, as Marco Gonzales will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2016 season.

The St. Louis Cardinals had another obstacle thrown their way on Monday, as it was announced that lefthanded pitcher Marco Gonzales will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2016 season.

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Gonzales, the team’s first-round pick in 2013, was a prime candidate to serve as the team’s “sixth starter” in the event of an injury to a primary member of their rotation this year.

Now, though, it appears that lefty Tim Cooney (as soon as he gets off the Triple-A DL) or hotshot prospect Alex Reyes (once he returns from a drug suspension) will be the primary candidates to serve as rotation depth. Lefty Tyler Lyons, who has been pitching out of the bullpen so far this year, and righty Rule 5 pick Matt Bowman, who has been getting limited action so far as a long reliever, could also be potential candidates.

Gonzales, who ascended to the majors just more than a year after being drafted, has had a rough couple seasons after a strong, fast-rising first professional campaign. He spent much of 2015 on the minor-league DL due to shoulder pain, and after returning, he got knocked around, accumulating a 5.45 ERA with a 1.66 WHIP and .323 opponent batting average over 14 Triple-A starts. In one major-league start on September 1, Gonzales allowed four earned runs on seven hits and a walk over 2.2 innings. He was sent down over that start and did not rejoin the team at any point for the rest of the year.

This spring, the Cardinals hoped that Gonzales would be healthy again and ready to show the same potential that he did in 2014. Instead, though, the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder put up a 4.66 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, and .318 OBA in 9.2 Grapefruit League innings. He was sent down earlier than expected with the goal of building stamina for the regular season, but instead he developed elbow pain and never ended up starting a regular season game for Triple-A Memphis.

Next: What Have the Cardinals Really Lost to the DL?

Considering the Cardinals’ injury trouble this season, it seems very possible that Gonzales could end up being recalled at some point so that he can be placed on the 60-day disabled list and save the team a 40-man roster spot. The club already has one player on the 60-day DL (righthander Lance Lynn, who will also miss 2016 after undergoing Tommy John), as well as six on the 15-day disabled list: righthanded relievers Mitch Harris and Jordan Walden, catcher Brayan Pena, shortstops Ruben Tejada and Jhonny Peralta, and outfielder Tommy Pham.

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