Cardinals’ Lance Lynn Has Tommy John Surgery, will Miss 2016

According to the St. Louis Cardinals, starting pitcher Lance Lynn had Tommy John surgery on Monday. Due to the surgery, he will miss the entire 2016 season.

Lynn went 12-11 with a 3.03 ERA in 2015, providing a dependable back end to the Cardinals’ starting rotation. That dependability is not new; since 2012, Lynn is sixth in the majors with 60 wins, 16th with 726 strikeouts, and has thrown at least 175 innings in each of his major league seasons. In the win column, he trails only big names like Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and David Price during that time span.

Lynn’s absence will be a major blow to the Cardinals’ rotation, but there is still time to fix this newfound problem. Now the Cardinals will look to bring in a starting pitcher in the offseason to buffer its current rotation. Beyond bringing back their own free agent starter, 37-year-old John Lackey, who was given a one-year, $15.8 million-dollar qualifying offer last week, some mid-level pitchers who the Cardinals could target for a shorter term include Mark Buehrle, J.A. Happ, Cliff Lee, and Chris Young.

Next: Cardinals Top Prospect Alex Reyes Receives 50-Game Drug Suspension

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