Christian Vazquez will have season-ending elbow surgery

The Red Sox were waiting for a punch, and it came on Wednesday with the news that catcher Christian Vazquez will miss the season because of Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Dr. James Andrews examined Vazquez at his clinic in Gulf Breeze, Fla., and confirmed the original diagnosis of a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He will perform the surgery Thursday.

Barring any setback, Vazquez should be available for the start of the 2016 season.

The Red Sox were anticipating the worst and have already moved to patch the roster by promoting veteran backup Ryan Hanigan into the starting role and trading for Sandy Leon to be his backup.

But the loss of Vazquez could alter the course of their season. The 24-year-old from Puerto Rico is a gifted receiver with a strong arm who quickly earned the trust of the pitching staff after making his major league debut last season.

Scouts and statistical analysts agreed that Vazquez impacted games with his ability to frame pitches in the strike zone, block low pitches, and control the running game. Vazquez threw out 15 of 29 base stealers last season in 55 games.

"He's special," Red Sox starter Rick Porcello said last week. "I've literally never thrown to a catcher who can do the sort of things he can do. He gives you a lot of confidence as a pitcher."

Vazquez, who arrived at spring training early to work with the pitching staff, was injured on March 13 making a throw against the Yankees. It was initially thought the injury was minor and would respond to rest. When Vazquez did not sufficiently improve, an MRI was taken that showed a tear.