The Chicago Cubs were dealt some brutal injury news on one of their key relief pitchers, Adbert Alzolay. The 29-year-old righty has to undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his 2024 season in the midst of a months-long injury rehab.

The latest update on Alozolay was that he was moved to the 60-day injured list with a right flexor strain. The Cubs knew that he would need surgery but the latest steps were to determine the severity of his injury. He hasn’t pitched for Chicago since the middle of May but did a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on July 27 that he struggled to recover from.

Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic noted that Alzolay does not yet have an exact timeline for his return but his rehab will obviously eat into next season. It’s a major, major blow for the veteran pitcher.

Cubs lose Adbert Alzolay for rest of 2024 season

This season wasn’t a great one for Alzolay, who may have dealt with some type of issue all season given how his performance tailed off. After posting a 2.67 ERA last season, he had just a 4.67 ERA this season. His strikeout rate plummeted and his home-run rate went the opposite way, a recipe for disaster. The velocity on his four-seam fastball fell from 95.3 miles per hour to 94.7, a sign that something was not right with him in 2024. The rest of his pitch velocities were down, too.

With Cody Bellinger working his way back from an injury, the Cubs should at least have their top lineup ready to go as they try to snatch a playoff berth. They have a record of 56-60 right now, though. Their sights on becoming a winning team are set for next season and beyond. Alzolay can be a part of that winning, even if he has a long recovery process ahead of him.