PITTSBURGH -- Pirates starter Chris Archer underwent surgery to repair a bilateral hernia on Tuesday, but he should be "on or close to a regular schedule" for next season, the club announced.
According to the Pirates, Archer experienced "recurrent abdominal symptoms" during a recent workout. He received multiple medical opinions and decided to undergo surgery. Dr. William Meyers performed the operation in Philadelphia. The typical recovery time is about six weeks; after that, Archer will be cleared to resume full offseason workouts.
Before he was traded from the Rays to the Pirates on July 31, Archer spent a little more than a month on the disabled list due to a left abdominal strain. The 30-year-old right-hander also missed his final start of the season because of what the Bucs called "continued discomfort of a left groin strain" he sustained earlier in the year.
The Pirates traded former top prospects Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows, along with former first-round Draft pick Shane Baz, to pry Archer from the Rays. He had an up-and-down debut with Pittsburgh, struggling in August before finding his footing in September. Archer finished this past season with a 4.31 ERA in 148 1/3 innings over 27 starts.
Next season is the final guaranteed year in Archer's contract, which includes affordable club options for 2020 and '21. He is expected to work atop Pittsburgh's rotation with Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, Joe Musgrove and Ivan Nova.
Like Archer, Musgrove is expected to be on schedule for the start of Spring Training after a recent surgical procedure. Musgrove had surgery on Oct. 19 to repair his abdominal wall and help heal a stress reaction on the front of his pelvic bone.