New York Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle is likely to undergo surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow, manager Aaron Boone confirmed Friday, according to Erik Boland of Newsday.
The Yankees placed Kahnle on the injured list earlier Friday with a "right ulnar collateral ligament injury." He underwent an MRI and met with team doctors to discuss his prognosis.
Kahnle will likely miss most, if not all, of next season. The 30-year-old is scheduled to reach free agency after the 2021 campaign.
"Your heart goes out to Tommy right now, knowing that it's a significant injury that's gotta get taken care of now," Boone said.
Kahnle threw in only one game this season before heading to the IL. Two days after striking out three batters last Sunday in Washington, he felt forearm tightness and then was unable to play catch, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
A mainstay in the Yankees' bullpen since the middle of 2017, Kahnle posted a 3.67 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 88 strikeouts to just 20 walks over 61 1/3 innings last year. He was also effective in the postseason, allowing just two earned runs across eight appearances in October.
