Former All-Star right-hander Alex Reyes, who signed a one-year pact with the Los Angeles Dodgers over the offseason worth $1.1 million guaranteed, will not pitch this season after undergoing shoulder surgery this week, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. It's the second time in 13 months Reyes has required an operation on his throwing shoulder: last May he went under the knife to repair his labrum.
Reyes, 28, has not thrown a regular-season pitch since 2021, back when he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. He made his first (and only) career All-Star Game that season, compiling a 3.24 ERA (122 ERA+) and a 1.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 72 innings. He saved 29 games as well.
Reyes had started a throwing program this spring but had to shut things down when he experienced shoulder discomfort. He's expected to miss at least 12 months, meaning that he will not be a factor until next summer, at earliest. The Dodgers hold a $3 million club option on his services for 2024. They seem certain to instead buy out that option for $100,000, in turn making him a free agent for the second consecutive offseason.
Reyes used to be considered one of the most promising young pitchers in the sport thanks to his power arsenal. He was ranked by Baseball America as a top 10 prospect prior to both the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Unfortunately, his career has since been marred by injuries. In addition to the shoulder surgeries, he also required Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2017 campaign.
In all, Reyes has made just 101 appearances since debuting in August 2016. He has a career 2.86 ERA (142 ERA+) and 1.82 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
