Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright will undergo Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow and miss the entire 2011 season, general manager John Mozeliak confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday.

Wainwright injured his right elbow during a bullpen session Monday and Mozeliak told the AP on Wednesday that “things do not look encouraging.” He said the severity of the injury was confirmed Wednesday night after Wainwright went for a second opinion.

“It’s not a real surprise to us but certainly a disappointment,” Mozeliak said. “As we look to the future now we certainly believe we still have a strong starting rotation. Now we’re going to have to look to try to fill it in terms of a fifth spot.”

The 29-year-old Wainwright went 20-11 with a 2.42 ERA and finished second in National League Cy Young voting last season. His injury leaves the Cardinals with a rotation of Chris Carpenter, Kyle Lohse, Jaime Garcia, Jake Westbrook and whoever wins the battle for the fifth spot.

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