CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 16: Hunter Dobbins #40 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field on August 16, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Isaac Wasserman/Getty Images) Getty
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 21: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Fenway Park on August 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) Getty
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 01: Thomas Saggese #25 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates his home run with a teammate in the dugout in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) Getty
The St. Louis Cardinals will be without one of their starting pitchers for the next calendar year. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Hunter Dobbins underwent reconstructive elbow surgery to repair a torn UCL and flexor tendon.
Dobbins faces a recovery and rehab timeline of at least 12 months, which puts his entire 2027 season in jeopardy. How that season goes may determine what capacity the right-hander returns in.
Goold notes it's the second time that Dobbins has undergone surgery concerning his left elbow in his career. The 27-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 as a member of the Boston Red Sox organization.
It wasn't specificed the type of surgery Dobbins underwent. But it's a matter of whether it's a replacement (Tommy John) or a repair of the ligament using an internal brace.
GettyHunter Dobbins will be sidelined for most, if not all, of the 2027 season after undergoing elbow surgery. (Photo by Isaac Wasserman/Getty Images)
Hunter Dobbins last pitched on August 21 against the Philadelphia Phillies . He left the game after one pitch into his fifth inning on the mound. He was placed on the 15-day injured list the following day.
Dobbins had been up and down on four separate stints this season. In 11 appearances, eight starts, he pitched to a 3.67 ERA and 4.30 FIP across 54 innings.
The right-hander will be out for the foreseeable future. He's a candidate to move to the 60-day injured list whenever the Cardinals need a 40-man roster spot. Dobbins will likely open the 2027 season there as well.
There is a rehab process that the Cardinals and Dobbins will undergo over the next 12 months. The key is getting him back to his pre-surgery stuff at the end of that period.
GettyFormer Cardinal Willson Contreras is enjoying a career season in Boston. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals acquired Hunter Dobbins from the Boston Red Sox in a four-prospect package for first baseman Willson Contreras.
The Cardinals were offloading veterans in the offseason, as Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, and Sonny Gray were also shipped off. That meant a lot of salary came off the books, with some of it going to rookie second JJ Wetherholt's massive extension.
Gray also went to Boston, but in a separate trade.
The deal worked out nicely for Boston, as Contreras is having his best season at the plate. The 35-year-old is slashing .274/.384/.516 with a career-high 26 home runs. He was one of the best hitters in the American League before going on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
GettyThe St. Louis Cardinals have stunned the Dodgers in back-to-back games. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals are going for a three-game sweep of the defending back-to-back World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers . After blowing out Los Angeles in the series opener, they pulled off a massive comeback from down 5-0 to win in extra innings.
St. Louis is currently 70-70 on the season. They are 3.5 games back of a National League Wild Card spot. FanGraphs gives them a paltry 3.7% chance of clinching a postseason spot.
Rookie left-hander Quin Matthews starts for the Cardinals. He'll be opposed by Tarik Skubal. First pitch at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium is set for 10:10 p.m. ET/7:10 p.m. PT.
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