ST. LOUIS -- A few hours after Ryan Sherriff announced the sobering news with a thumbs up, the Cardinals confirmed they'll be without the left-hander for at least the rest of the 2018 season.
Sherriff underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow on Tuesday, according to general manager Michael Girsch. Girsch said the operation was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.
Sherriff, 28, had been on the disabled list at Triple-A Memphis since May 18. He broke the news of his surgery himself, posting a photo to Instagram of him in a hospital bed Tuesday afternoon. In the caption, he announced that he'd undergone surgery. But the post was quickly deleted.
After the Cards consulted with ElAttrache, they confirmed the surgery, which figures to sideline Sherriff for a minimum of 12 months.
A 28th-round pick in 2011, Sherriff rose steadily through the Cardinals' farm system before debuting in the big leagues last August at age 27. He made 18 appearances across the past two seasons, including five in 2018. He also spent several weeks on the Major League disabled list with a broken toe.