Cardinals’ Alex Reyes to have Tommy John elbow surgery

(AP) — Just a day after pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, the St. Louis Cardinals were handed a significant blow.

MRI results showed that rookie pitcher Alex Reyes, 22, will require Tommy John elbow surgery and miss the entire 2017 season, the club announced on Wednesday.

“It was determined that’d he’ll require Tommy John (surgery),” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told reporters at the team’s spring training facility in Jupiter, Fla. “It’s obviously very disappointing. We had very high expectations for him.”

“The thoughts going through my head, ‘It sucks,'” Reyes said.

The loss of Reyes is a big setback for the Cardinals, who are trying to catch the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Reyes was expected to play a key role with the Cardinals this season as potentially their fifth starter. He’s armed with a deadly 97 mph fastball and billed as baseball’s top pitching prospect.