PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies right-hander Seranthony Domínguez will have Tommy John surgery as soon as it can be scheduled.

It is a blow to the Phillies, but not an unexpected one.

A source confirmed a report in The Athletic (subscription required) that Domínguez returned to the United States on Thursday after trying unsuccessfully for weeks to leave the Dominican Republic to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Domínguez injured his elbow last season and seemed to be destined for surgery, but he first opted for a non-surgical approach to recovery. He seemed to be progressing this spring, when he aggravated the injury in March before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended Spring Training and postponed the beginning of the 2020 season.

Domínguez is self-quarantining before he has surgery later this month. The recovery from Tommy John surgery is typically 12-18 months, meaning Domínguez might not return until mid-2021 at the earliest or maybe even '22.

If not for the pandemic, Domínguez almost certainly would have had surgery back in March. He was getting his elbow evaluated when Spring Training was suspended on March 12. The initial evaluation from Phillies doctors included the possibility of Tommy John surgery, but the team and Domínguez agreed he should seek a second opinion. Domínguez returned home instead and never got the second opinion.

“And on top of that, elective surgeries were understandably beginning to present some ethical dilemmas across the country,” Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said in April. “It was a tough situation, but Seranthony was incredibly thoughtful and we remained in constant communication with him throughout. Ultimately, just before the travel ban took effect, we all agreed that the best decision for him was to return home and be with his family.”