Lance Lynn knows how to get out of jams. (Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports)
St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn underwent Tommy John elbow ligament reconstruction surgery that will sideline him for the 2016 season, the team announced Tuesday.
Lynn, 28, battled through a strained forearm and an ankle injury during the 2015 season to post a 12-11 record with a 3.03 ERA in 175 innings covering 31 starts. He later acknowledged that he pitched with pain for much of the season.
Rehab is expected to be 12-15 months.
Lynn signed a three-year, $22 million contract last year. His salary is $7.5 million for 2016.
In the past four seasons, Lynn has 60 wins and 726 strikeouts for the Cardinals. His career record is 61-39 with a 3.37 ERA in 150 games, including 128 starts.
Lynn’s injury likely will prompt the Cardinals to boost their efforts to re-sign free-agent right-hander John Lackey to fill out a rotation that could include Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia.
Wainwright missed most of the 2015 season with a torn Achilles and Martinez was shut down in September with a shoulder strain. Garcia was limited to 20 starts in 2015 after making 16 combined starts in 2013-14.
