CINCINNATI -- Right-handed reliever Drew Storen, who pitched in 58 games for Cincinnati this season, said Sunday he will have Tommy John elbow surgery that will likely sideline him until the 2019 season.
"The positive thing is, I'm only 30," Storen said. "It'll be 12 months, then I'll need time to get in shape. It's going to be [2019] anyway, so why cut [the recovery time] short?"
Storen has been on the disabled list since Wednesday. He said he "felt a grab" while pitching Sept. 1 against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. He was 4-2 with a 4.45 ERA with the Reds after signing a one-year, $3-million contract with them before the season began, and could be a free agent by the time he is ready to pitch again.
"Drew has found a way to stay on the field and stay competitive, even before he became a Reds player, when his elbow was not at 100 percent, which is a credit to him," Reds manager Bryan Price said.
The Reds transferred Storen from the 10-day to 60-day disabled list, opening up a roster spot that allowed them to claim third baseman D.J. Peterson off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. Peterson, 25, was a first-round pick by Seattle in 2013, but was designated for assignment by the Mariners on July 30. Peterson will not join the Reds for the final 12 games of the season.
Storen has made at least 50 appearances in seven of his eight pro seasons. The only exception was in 2012, when he had arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip in his elbow. He was Washington's first-round Draft choice in 2009 and made his big-league debut in 2010.
Storen said the surgery will likely take place within the next two weeks.
"It's part of the job," Storen said. "I'm trying to make the best of a bad situation."
Down the stretch
Cincinnati's final 12 games are against postseason contenders as they will face the Cardinals, Red Sox, Brewers and Cubs.
"We will typically have a very representative lineup in there every day," Price said. "That doesn't mean the young guys are not going to play. The priority is the Reds. I do respect the environment we're in and we will not unload the bench."