Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak confirmed that Adam Wainwright will undergo Tommy John surgery. The ace righthander will miss all of the 2011 season and potentially, the beginning of 2012.
Dr. Rick Lehman, a St. Louis based sports orthopedic surgeon, says pitchers with big curveballs, like Wainwright, are more likely to undergo the procedure.
Wainwright’s rotation mate Jaime Garcia went through Tommy John late in 2008, didn’t pitch at all in the big leagues in 2009, and then returned to win 13 games for the Cardinals in 2010. Garcia says it took him two years to fully recover from the surgery.