Cardinals right-hander Max Rajcic has undergone Tommy John surgery. The righty himself announced the news on his personal Instagram page. He’ll miss the remainder of this season and likely all of 2027 as well. He’s already on the 60-day injured list and will stay there for the remainder of the campaign.

It’s an unfortunate blow for the young righty. A sixth-round pick from the 2022 draft, he spent a few years climbing through the minor leagues as a starter. He didn’t have much success in that role in the upper levels, so the Cards moved him to the bullpen this year. He found immediate success with the change, posting a 2.88 earned run average in 40 2/3 innings. His 8.6% walk rate was around average while his 28.4% strikeout rate and 48.5% ground ball rate were both much better than par.

That got him called up to the big leagues last month but he made just six appearances before hitting the IL with right elbow soreness. He was quickly transferred to the 60-day IL, suggesting the injury was serious. It’s therefore not a shock that he has gone under the knife but it surely stings for him to be facing the extended absence so soon after making his dreams come true. Tommy John surgery usually requires 14 months or more of rehab, so he might not be a factor again until the 2028 season.

The one silver lining for Rajcic is that this surgery happened just after his call-up. That means he will get big league pay and service time for the remainder of the season. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series and doesn’t come back until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. That might get him squeezed off the roster. If he holds a spot through the offseason, he could spent all of next year on the IL as well, collecting even more big league pay and service.

Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images