Shelby Miller to Undergo Tommy John Surgery to Repair Elbow Injury

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Shelby Miller confirmed Saturday he will undergo Tommy John surgery after it was revealed he was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow.

"It's the best decision I think we could make," he said, according to the team's official Twitter account.

Miller shed more light on the decision with a post on Twitter:

A date has yet to be set for Miller's surgery, but he told reporters he plans to go under the knife "probably as soon as possible," according to the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro.

Once the procedure is complete, Miller will be out of action for at least a year.

"If I tried to take the conservative route and it didn't end up working out, I could possibly miss two years," Miller added, per Piecoro. "If I do it right now with no questions asked, feeling pretty good coming back, I'll be throwing bullpens around spring training time. I'll be right there with the team, which is ultimately what makes the most sense to me."

Miller went 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA over his first three starts of the season, but that encouraging beginning was derailed when he experienced right forearm tightness on April 23 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and had to leave the game in the fifth inning:

Miller will now have to wait until the middle of the Diamondbacks' 2018 campaign, at the earliest, to bounce back from a shaky start to his tenure in the desert.