Lefthanded reliever Zach Duke, who posted a 1.93 earned-run average in 28 games after the Cardinals acquired him from the Chicago White Sox in late July, is expected to miss most, if not all, of next season, after undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement elbow surgery last week in Pensacola, Fla.
General manager John Mozeliak confirmed a report of the surgery Friday, saying that the 33-year-old Duke had had another ligament replacement surgery earlier in his career, had visited with Dr. James Andrews after the season and, after an MRI, it was decided not only to fix the elbow but the forearm flexor muscle.