PHOENIX -- Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo revealed Friday that Justin Martinez had ligament replacement (Tommy John) surgery, along with some type of brace procedure as well.

Heading into the surgery, the indications were that Martinez would not require a new ligament. Based on previous news conferences, it was thought he would have the Brace Procedure, which offers a 12-13 month timeline.

But once the surgeon got in there, the needs changed, and the replacement surgery was performed, resulting in a 14-16 month window.

Counting out from now, the best case scenario then would be at least 14 months, which would take Martinez to the end of August 2026. In cases like this in the past the team has usually been conservative and not pushed the player to return within that season.

If they do allow the pitcher to return, it's usually only for an outing or two at the end of September to allow them to go into the offseason with confidence.

This is yet another blow for an organization that has been decimated by injury in 2025. Martinez was just signed to a five-year, $18 million contract extension through 2029. The Diamondbacks hold club options for 2030 and 2031.

If Martinez is able to come back and be as effective as he was before the surgery, they can still get plenty of value out of him. That said, this is his second elbow reconstruction.

Outcomes are typically worse with second and third surgeries. The track record of success after two Tommy John surgeries is simply far less positive.

Meanwhile co-closer A.J. Puk also had elbow surgery, although in his case he had the Brace Procedure only, and thus his timeline is more in the 12-13 month window. That opens the possibility for him to return around the All-Star break of 2026.

Starter Corbin Burnes had Tommy John surgery earlier this month as well, and he too is likely out all of 2026, unless he's able to make a late-season return in September, similar to Martinez.

With Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Shelby Miller all becoming free agents, and numerous injuries to the their next tier of pitching depth in the minor leagues, the Diamondbacks organization has suffered severe setbacks this year.

How they might overcome those, not just in 2025, but in 2026 and beyond is a monumental challenge for the entire organization. General Manager Mike Hazen, Lovullo, and the entire baseball operations group will be searching for answers.