Phillies' Appel done for season after surgery

Phillies No. 4 prospect Mark Appel will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his right elbow to remove a bone spur.

Appel, a 24-year-old right-hander at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, is expected to be ready for Spring Training after surgery was performed Wednesday, according to Philly.com. The former No. 1 overall Draft pick had been sidelined since May 27.

The Phillies said Appel's recovery time is expected to be four to six months. He was initially placed on the disabled list with a "strained right shoulder" injury following his last appearance on May 22, when he recorded just two outs against Toledo. It's believed Appel then injured his elbow once he resumed a throwing program as part of his rehab process this month.

In eight starts, the righty was 3-3 with a 4.46 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings. He walked 20, and batters were hitting .267 against him. Appel allowed three earned runs or fewer in six of his eight outings, although he did not pitch past the sixth inning in any of them.

The Texas native was the top pick in the 2013 Draft by Houston and was expected to reach the Majors later this season after Philadelphia acquired him last winter in a trade that sent Ken Giles to the Astros.

Appel was a Futures Game All-Star last summer with Triple-A Fresno, a season in which he went 10-3 with a 4.37 ERA across two levels.