Atlanta Braves reliever Shae Simmons will miss the 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery Thursday.
The team announced that Dr. James Andrews performed the operation in Florida.
Simmons was shut down for the remainder of the 2014 season in late July due to a right shoulder strain. However, he experienced elbow discomfort when he started his offseason throwing program in early February, leading to an MRI exam that diagnosed a torn ulnar collateral ligament, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The 24-year-old right-hander went 1-2 with one save, nine holds and a 2.91 ERA in 26 relief appearances for Atlanta in 2014. It was his first major league experience.
The Braves made Simmons a 22nd-round draft pick out of Southeast Missouri in 2012. Over parts of three seasons in the minors, he went 3-4 with 40 saves and a 1.69 ERA in 97 games (three starts).