Cardinals' Lynn to miss 2016 after Tommy John surgery

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn will miss the 2016 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Tuesday.

Lynn also had bone chips removed from the elbow, and had the ulnar nerve in his arm transposed.

After a season in which he dealt with frequent ankle issues, Lynn's throwing elbow has put him on the shelf for the foreseeable future, with recovery from the surgery typically taking 15 months.

Although the loss of Lynn is a big one for the Cardinals, their rotation could still consist of Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Jaime Garcia, and Carlos Martinez. But with the aforementioned pitchers all having dealt with injuries of their own in 2015, general manager John Mozeliak told reporters that the injury to Lynn alters the team's offseason plans.

Lynn, 28, made 31 regular-season starts for the club in 2015, posting a 12-11 record with a 3.03 ERA and 1.37 WHIP.

He pitched just one inning of relief for the Cardinals in the postseason, allowing an earned run on one hit while striking out two in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs.