Braves Brandon Beachy to Undergo Tommy John Surgery

Atlanta Braves right-hander Brandon Beachy will undergo Tommy John surgery today, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Beachy was diagnosed with a partial tear in the ulnar collateral ligament of his throwing elbow earlier in the week, and Dr. James Andrews confirmed the diagnosis yesterday.

#Braves Beachy will have Tommy John surgery Thur.

— David O'Brien (@ajcbraves) June 20, 2012

Beachy was placed on the Braves 15-day disabled list this weekend after the 25-year-old left his Saturday start against the Baltimore Orioles early. The right-hander was strong over his 3 2/3 innings of work, but he began experiencing a loss of velocity.

The loss is a significant blow to the Braves, as Beachy was leading the majors in ERA (2.00). Over his 13 starts spanning 81 innings, he maintained a WHIP of 0.963 with 7.6 SO/9 and 3.2 BB/9.

Beachy and his impressive numbers will be replaced by Jair Jurrjens who’s struggled pitching for the Braves Triple-A affiliate. After getting shelled out of the gates with the Braves (17 ER in 16 1/3 IP), Jurrjens has only mustered an ERA and WHIP of 5.18 and 1.430 in Triple-A.