Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever Dauri Moreta underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow and will be out 14-16 months, per a report by MLB.com.
The 27-year-old Moreta went 5-2 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with one save in 58 innings over 55 appearances last season, averaging 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder was injured March 3 while pitching the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles. The first alarming sign was when the velocity on his four-seam fastball dropped to 89.9 mph, down 5.3 mph from his average, and he surrendered a three-run home run.
After Moreta spiked a slider — his signature pitch — in the dirt, Pirates assistant trainer Tony Leo checked on him. Moreta was removed from the game with elbow soreness.
On March 16, the Pirates placed Moreta on the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster for center fielder Michael A. Taylor, a 2021 AL Gold Glove winner who signed a one-year, $4 million contract.
The Pirates acquired Moreta from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for middle infielder Kevin Newman in November 2022, and the former Reds minor league pitcher of the year thrived in a fireman role.
