PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Chad Kuhl underwent reconstructive surgery on his right elbow and will miss the entire 2019 season.

The team says Kuhl had the surgery Wednesday in New York. Kuhl went 5-5 with a 4.55 ERA in 16 starts for Pittsburgh this season. The Pirates initially placed him on the disabled list because of right forearm soreness following a loss to the New York Mets on June 26.

Kuhl took a month off hoping to avoid surgery. But he recently endured a setback when the pain resurfaced. He called the decision to have surgery “difficult” but is confident he’ll return down the road.

The 26-year-old Kuhl is 18-20 with a 4.27 ERA in three seasons with the Pirates.