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Mets' Wheeler Officially On Rehab Trail Following Tommy John Surgery

TAMPA, Fla. (CBSNewYork/AP) — New York Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler has had Tommy John surgery, which likely will sideline him until late next spring.

The Mets said team medical director Dr. David Altchek operated in New York on Wednesday to reconstruct the 24-year-old right-hander's ulnar collateral ligament and repair the flexor pronator tendon.

The team said in a statement that surgery was "successful" and Wheeler "is expected to make a full recovery."

Wheeler was 11-11 with a 3.54 ERA and 187 strikeouts last year, when he threw a career-high 185 1-3 innings.

"I'm basically going to have a new elbow when I come out," he said last week, according to the Mets' official website. "I have that mindset that I'm going to come back and I'm going to be 100 percent and better than before."

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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