Cardinals right-hander Max Rajcic has undergone Tommy John surgery, a setback he announced himself on his personal Instagram page. The procedure ends his season and is expected to wipe out most, if not all, of 2027 as well. He is already on the 60-day injured list and will remain there for the rest of the year.
The timing is especially rough for a pitcher who had just started to find his footing in a new role. Rajcic, a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft, spent several seasons working his way through the minors as a starter.
That path didn’t bring much success at the upper levels, so St. Louis shifted him to the bullpen this season - and the move clicked right away.
In 40 2/3 innings out of relief, Rajcic posted a 2.88 earned run average. His 8.6% walk rate was around league average, while his 28.4% strikeout rate and 48.5% ground ball rate both stood well above it. That performance earned him a call-up to the majors last month.
His big league run was brief. Rajcic made six appearances before landing on the injured list with right elbow soreness, and the quick transfer to the 60-day IL pointed to a serious issue.
Now the surgery confirms it, and it leaves him facing a long rehab that typically takes 14 months or more. That puts a return closer to the 2028 season.
There is at least one small benefit to the timing. Because the surgery came after his call-up, Rajcic will collect big league pay and service time for the rest of this season.
The 60-day injured list disappears five days after the World Series and doesn’t return until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, which could leave him vulnerable to being squeezed off the roster. If he keeps his spot through the offseason, he could spend all of next year on the IL too, adding more major league pay and service time.
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