Cubs' Adbert Alzolay set to have Tommy John surgery

Adbert Alzolay has already missed nearly the last three months of Chicago Cubs baseball.

Turns out, he’ll end up missing a lot more than that.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced Tuesday morning that Alzolay is set to undergo Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. That’ll end his 2024 season after just 18 appearances out of the Cubs’ bullpen. He hadn’t pitched since May 12 due to a right flexor strain that put him on the shelf the next day.

Counsell didn’t provide a timeline for return besides noting that it would be “long.” He also didn’t want to speculate on the possibility Alzolay misses next season as well, though with how long a typical recovery timetable can be (it can vary but is usually 12-18 months, according to MLB.com), it’s fair to say his 2025 is in jeopardy.

“God’s plan .. road to recovery starts today.. The fist will be back better than ever,” Alzolay wrote in a post on X, alluding to his “People’s Fist” celebration.

It’s obviously a tough break for Alzolay, who emerged as a strong closing option in 2023, converting 22 of his first 23 save opportunities for the Cubs. Though he blew his last two save chances before missing over half of September with a right forearm strain, he entered 2024 hoping to build on that successful first season in the closer role.

But he struggled from the start. On Opening Day, Alzolay allowed a game-tying solo shot to the first batter he faced in the bottom of the ninth before the Cubs lost in extras. That was the first of five blown saves for the 29-year-old this season. He only closed out four of nine save opportunities successfully, ultimately posting a 1-4 record and a 4.67 ERA.

By the end of April, his struggles got to the point that he wasn’t closing games anymore.

Though Counsell had previously expressed belief that Alzolay would “get us big outs this year,” he only made it through that May 12 game in Pittsburgh before he hit the 15-day injured list (he was eventually transferred to the 60-day IL on June 2). The original diagnosis of the flexor strain gave the Cubs hope rest and rehab would be enough.

Alzolay moved his rehab to Arizona at the end of May while he was still in a two-week shutdown period, and he later began a throwing progression. Though the team acknowledged the process was going a little slow, he eventually progressed to throwing bullpens in July and finally made his first rehab appearance (in the Arizona Complex League) on July 19.

His second rehab outing came in the ACL four days later, and he then pitched for Triple-A Iowa on July 27. However, he didn’t recover well after that outing, according to Counsell, so he went back to Chicago to be evaluated. He and the team sought multiple opinions after Counsell revealed last Thursday that Alzolay would need some form of arm surgery, ultimately leading to the Tommy John decision.

“He certainly made a big effort to come back and put a lot of work into trying to pitch this year,” Counsell said. “In the end, he tried, and it was not possible to do it. So he’s gotta go get this fixed and go down the rehab route and get strong and ready to pitch again.”

It’s not only a blow to the team on the field and in the clubhouse for the rest of this season, but potentially for all of next season, too.

Alzolay originally signed with the Cubs out of Venezuela in 2013, and he made his major league debut on June 20, 2019. He has two more years of team control (arbitration eligible) after 2024.