Rangers right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez will need Tommy John surgery after a setback during his throwing program recently in Arizona.
An MRI showed a partial ligament tear during spring training and Gonzalez chose to go the non-surgical route, which required six to eight weeks of not throwing. A recent MRI showed the ligament was failing, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said.
Team physician Dr. Keith Meister will perform the surgery next week, Daniels said. The procedure typically requires pitchers to miss 14 months, which means Gonzalez wouldn’t return to action until September 2018.