Gonzales needs Tommy John surgery

Marco Gonzales' season is over before it began.

The Cardinals' No. 7 prospect will undergo Tommy John surgery and will miss all of the 2016 season, the club said Wednesday.

Slated to open the year with Triple-A Memphis, Gonzales was sidelined shortly before Opening Day with an elbow injury. A week later, the 24-year-old left-hander finds himself on a path that will sideline him at least a year.

"He's got a long road ahead of him as far as bouncing back from this injury and figuring out how to keep moving forward with the steps that he had made in Spring Training," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny told MLB.com. "In the meanwhile, somebody else has to jump in and be the guy if we need it."

Gonzales was expected to be among those called upon to fill an injury void by the big league club this year. Now for the second straight season, the 19th overall pick in the 2013 Draft finds himself once again dealing with injuries. He missed time in 2015 with left pectoral and left shoulder injuries that limited him to 80 2/3 innings. He had a 1-5 record and a 4.69 ERA across three Minor League levels.

The Colorado native's health was a topic of conversation during Spring Training, with the Cardinals believing he had recovered well enough to pitch.

"He's ready to go this year, and we're looking forward to a real productive year from him. When you think back, he's only a few years removed from the Draft process and he came through the system quick as well," said Gary LaRocque, the Cardinals' director of player development. "This will be a good year to see him through the entire year and stay healthy through the year and have him help us [in St. Louis]. He has his sights clearly set on that and we look forward to him being part of it."

Gonzales' injury further weakens what was expected to be an organizational strength. Tim Cooney, the club's eighth-ranked prospect, is on the Triple-A disabled list with no time frame for his return. Top prospect Alex Reyes is serving a 50-game drug suspension and likely won't pitch until sometime in May.

Gonzales made his Major League debut in 2014, going 4-2 with a 4.15 ERA in 10 appearances.