Phillies’ Clay Buchholz to miss 4-6 months after forearm surgery

Phillies starter Clay Buchholz underwent successful surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm and will miss 4-6 months, according to a club announcement. Barstool Sports’ Jared Carrabis first reported the news last night.

Buchholz, 32, left his last start against the Mets in the third inning and was diagnosed with a partial tear of the mass last Wednesday. He consulted Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion early this week and ultimately opted for surgery to correct the issue.

Buchholz was considered a strong candidate for a bounceback season in Philadelphia after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Red Sox, but will miss a significant chunk (if not all) of the remainder of the season after appearing in only two starts for the Phils.

Buchholz’s spot in the rotation will likely be taken righty Zach Eflin, who will start tonight for the Phillies and fill out a group that includes Jeremy Hellickson, Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez and Aaron Nola. Eflin pitched ten scoreless innings in the minors this year after recovering from knee injuries suffered last season.

Buchholz, who is due $13.5 million this year, will hit free agency this fall for the first time. He was likely to be considered a July trade candidate if healthy as teams searched for veteran rentals.