Braves reliever Arodys Vizcaíno undergoes season-ending shoulder surgery

Atlanta Braves reliever Arodys Vizcaíno will not be available to alleviate the organization’s bullpen concerns.

The 28-year-old underwent right shoulder surgery on Wednesday morning in New York City and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2019 season.

Dr. David Altchek “cleaned up” Vizcaíno’s labrum and removed scar tissue from the shoulder joint, according to a team release. In a post-surgery Instagram post, Vizcaíno wrote, “Thank God the operation was a success.”

The hard-throwing closer option is one of the franchise’s better relievers when healthy, but he missed significant time last season with shoulder issues and there were lingering concerns even as the team tendered him a $4.8 million contract this offseason. In 99 2/3 innings pitched since the 2017 season, Vizcaíno owns a 2.53 ERA while striking out nearly 10 batters per nine frames.

The news arrives at an inopportune time for an Atlanta bullpen ranking 25th in league- and park-adjusted FIP, 23rd in adjusted ERA and 27th in walk rate.

“There’s been a ton of turnover from the beginning of camp until now,” Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said of his team’s relief corps. “We’re going to look to do what we can both internally and externally.”