Kansas City Royals pitching prospect Kyle Zimmer will undergo season-ending surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome.
New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey had a similar surgery this week that ended his season.
Thoracic outlet syndrome is caused by the compression of nerves, blood vessels or both in the area between the neck and armpit. It's a serious condition that has interrupted and even jeopardized the careers of other major league pitchers.
The 24-year-old right-hander addressed his injury setback in a Twitter post Tuesday.
To my family, friends, and fans: pic.twitter.com/F7ym9P7NgM
— Kyle Zimmer (@kylezimmer11) July 19, 2016
He will undergo the surgery later this month or early August and is expected to be ready for the 2017 season.
Zimmer was the Royals' first-round pick (No. 5 overall) in the 2012 draft. He was the No. 2 prospect in the Royals' system in ESPN Insider Keith Law's rankings and was ranked No. 94 overall in his top 100 prospects for the 2016 season.
Arm injuries have limited him to 222 1/3 innings since he signed with the Royals. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder after the 2014 season.
He was 0-2 with a 1.93 ERA in three starts this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
