Ethan Roberts was one of the best stories coming out of Cubs camp in the spring.

His wholesome interview after finding out he made the Opening Day roster was enough to make even the most cynical person crack a smile.

Roberts eventually went down with a shoulder injury and after nearly two months off, he was set to make a rehab stint with Triple-A Iowa. In his first appearance on Sunday, he walked off the mound in pain after only a couple pitches.

Oh boy. A handful of pitches into his first MLB rehab appearance with the @IowaCubs, Ethan Roberts calls for training staff and leaves the game.

One of the best people in the organization. Hope he's alright.

— Alex Cohen (@voiceofcohen) June 19, 2022

His season is now over as the Cubs announced Thursday he will undergo Tommy John surgery:

#Cubs Ethan Roberts will need Tommy John surgery. No date set for surgery.

— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) June 23, 2022

“That stinks, right?” David Ross said before Thursday’s Cubs game in Pittsburgh. “What a great story, coming out of spring and the way he was able to throw the ball. Building up from last year, coming into spring and just making an impression.

“Good, young prospect bursting on the scene. Went through a little bit of adversity early on and then the injury popped up and now this. Bad news but I’m glad we’re getting it taken care of early. He’s young, get him surgery, get him rehabbed, get him back and help us out really soon.”

The 24-year-old went out and performed well initially, posting a 2.08 ERA in his first 5 appearances. He ran into a bit of trouble from there, allowing 6 runs in his final 4 outings before hitting the injured list in late April with a shoulder issue.

Roberts was the Cubs’ 4th-round pick in 2018 out of Tennessee Tech. He was dominant with Double-A Tennessee to begin the 2021 season and was promoted to Triple-A for the last couple months. In all, he was 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 54 innings.

“I think we have a lot of confidence in Ethan and these guys have real big-league stuff in there,” Ross said. “I know he’ll work hard to get back. He’s a hard worker. We got a lot of confidence in him.”