It's almost an epidemic in 2012 -- pitchers going down with elbow woes, many of them requiring Tommy John surgery.

The latest victim is Pirates righthander Charlie Morton. Dejan Kovacevic:

The Pirates’ Charlie Morton has a torn ligament in his right elbow and is expected to have Tommy John surgery that will cost him the rest of this season, two sources have told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

More word is expected later today.

General manager Neal Huntington declined to confirm or comment, out of respect for Morton’s privacy.

The general recovery period from Tommy John is a year, and the prognosis for a full, healthy return is excellent.

Morton, who had a solid 2011 for the Pirates with a 3.83 ERA and just six home runs allowed in 171 innings, struggled this year; his ERA jumped by nearly a run and he allowed five homers in just 50 innings before being shut down at the end of May. At 28, he still has a chance to come back from the surgery and have a productive career.

At least, that's what they tell all the guys who have TJ surgery.