Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Kuhl undergoes Tommy John surgery

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, the team announced Thursday.

The Pirates said the ulnar collateral ligament elbow reconstruction will sideline Kuhl approximately 14 to 16 months.

Kuhl posted a picture on Twitter from his hospital bed, giving a thumbs-up with his left hand while displaying his right arm is heavily bandaged.

"After a few months of being on the DL, I decided to move forward with the next step and have surgery on my elbow," Kuhl said. "This decision was obviously very difficult as I tried to use conservative management, with little to no improvement.

"I feel confident moving forward that I'll be pitching in the Major League again. I'm ready to tackle this next step, and take rehab day by day."

Kuhl went 5-5 with a 4.55 ERA in 16 starts this season with his final appearance occurring on June 26.

Kuhl is 18-20 with a 4.37 ERA in 61 career starts over three seasons.