Cubs’ Adbert Alzolay set to undergo Tommy John surgery

Adbert Alzolay’s difficult season took its toughest turn Wednesday afternoon.
The 29-year-old righty will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow.
Alzolay is scheduled to undergo the surgery in the coming days by Dr. Keith Meister. There’s no timeline on his recovery but it’s possible he misses all of the 2025 season.
[MORE: Counsell reacts to Alzolay’s surgery news]
It’s difficult news for Alzolay, who broke out in 2023 as the team’s closer and opened the year in the same role. But he struggled from the jump.
He allowed a game-tying home run in the 9th inning against the Rangers on Opening Day and had 5 blown saves this season with a 4.67 ERA.

Alzolay landed on the IL in mid-May and began a rehab assignment in July. He struggled in his recovery and returned to Chicago to undergo further testing.
“He certainly made a big effort to come back and put a lot of work into trying to pitch this year,” manager Craig Counsell said. “In the end, he tried and it was not possible to do it, so he’s gotta go get this fixed and go down the rehab route and get strong and ready to pitch again.”
Alzolay has been in the Cubs organization since he signed with the team in 2013. He was the organization’s top pitching prospect until he made his MLB debut in 2019.
The right-hander has filled several roles with the team, including earning a spot in the 2021 Opening Day rotation. He has also missed time due to lat injuries in 2018 and 2022.
Alzolay is under team control through the 2026 season.