The Pirates announced Thursday afternoon that Chad Kuhl underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, a procedure that typically requires 14 to 16 months for recovery.
Todd Tomczyk the Pirates' director of sports medicine, told reporters Wednesday afternoon that Kuhl was having surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, however, he would not reveal any other details until after the 26-year-old starting pitcher woke up from surgery.
Kuhl, who suffered what the Pirates called a right forearm strain June 26 at Citi Field, experienced a setback throwing a bullpen last week in St. Louis. He was re-examined by Dr. David Altchek earlier Wednesday and surgery was recommended. He tweeted a picture and note Thursday morning thanking friends, family and fans for support.
"The decision was obviously very difficult as I tried to use conservative management with little to no improvement," Kuhl wrote. "I feel confident moving forward that I'll be pitching in the major leagues again."
#letsgobucs pic.twitter.com/diVHdRPAVW
— Chad Kuhl (@KuhlWhhip_11) September 20, 2018
Kuhl will now miss the entire 2019 season and should be ready for spring training in 2020, barring any setbacks. That's a significant hit to the Pirates' pitching depth given he's started 47 games over the past two seasons. They're expected to enter this spring with Jameson Taillon, Joe Musgrove, Trevor Williams, Ivan Nova and Nick Kingham.
Kuhl was shut down from throwing for six weeks after being examined by Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery in July and progressed to throwing a 30-pitch fastball-only bullpen two weeks ago; however, the setback occurred when he was warming up with Elias Diaz last Tuesday at Busch Stadium. He experienced what Tomczyk called "tightness in his elbow and forearm" while preparing to throw another bullpen session.
Kuhl, a former ninth-round draft pick, made his big league debut in June 2016 and spent all of last season in the Pirates’ rotation, posting a 4.35 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 31 starts and 157 1/3 innings. He again made the opening day roster this spring, and the injury happened in the fourth inning of his 16th start of the season.
Kuhl was examined by head athletic trainer Bryan Housand after moving his right arm awkwardly after delivering a pitch against the Mets, but he remained in the game and was removed after reporting tightness upon returning to the dugout following the inning. He had a 1.44 WHIP in 85 innings this season, though he was arguably the Pirates’ most consistent starter for five weeks, posting a 2.89 ERA in eight starts from May 6 through June 15.
Kuhl resumed throwing nearly one month ago and threw a bullpen at PNC Park three weeks ago. The Pirates hoped to have him pitch in a game environment before the offseason, either in the majors or fall instructional league in Bradenton, Fla.
Also discussed in the weekly update Wednesday from Tomczyk:
• Gregory Polanco is still only one week post-operation and will eventually have his rehab transferred to Pirate City in Bradenton. The Pirates are still deciding whether to have him remain there for the duration of the offseason or allow him to return to the Dominican Republic. Polanco underwent surgery last Wednesday to stabilize his dislocated left shoulder and repair a torn rotator cuff, a surgery which could require six to nine months for recovery.
"Doing as expected," Tomczyk said. "He has a very long journey ahead of him. He’s in a good mindset right now. He’s still in the very early stages of this rehab process."
• Third baseman Jung Ho Kang received a handful of at-bats in a simulated game with the Pirates' fall instructional league roster and is expected to participate in a game with the group in the coming days. Tomczyk said it's "premature" to say whether Kang will be able to receive any at-bats in the majors before the end of the season.
Kang did not begin hitting live pitching until the past week and hasn't played in a game since June 24. He appeared in only seven games with Triple-A Indianapolis and nine with High-A Bradenton. He underwent surgery on his left wrist last month.