Rays' Matt Moore will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery

The Rays' bad luck worsened with the announcement that Matt Moore is out for the year. (Orlin Wagner/AP)

Matt Moore was diagnosed with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament last week after leaving his April 7 start against the Royals with the injury. He attempted to skirt major surgery, but succumbed to the inevitable on Monday night. The lefty will undergo Tommy John surgery, putting him on the shelf for a year.

The Rays were a popular pick to win not just the American League East, but also the pennant and perhaps even the World Series. Most of that confidence resides in their starting rotation, of which Moore was supposed to be a key member. David Price and Chris Archer are still there, but Moore has now joined Alex Cobb and Jeremy Hellickson on the DL. While Cobb isn't expected to miss too much time due to an oblique strain, Hellickson will be out until at least late May because of an elbow injury of his own that required surgery.

Moore will be 25 in June, and he should be a big part of the Rays' 2015 season. As for 2014, though, this seriously complicates the Rays' plans. They could find themselves in the starting pitching market at the trading deadline, which seemed impossible just two weeks ago.

JAFFE: Moore facing Tommy John surgery, furthering an unsettling trend