Arizona Diamondbacks Shelby Miller to undergo Tommy John surgery

After mulling different treatment options, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Shelby Miller will undergo Tommy John surgery.

Miller, who had a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, told reporters Saturday that he will have the season-ending procedure that is expected to sideline him for 12 to 18 months.

"It's the best decision I think we could make," Miller said.

Miller's MRI exam results were review by three doctors this week after he experienced tightness in the elbow during last Sunday's start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The consensus from the doctors is that the ligament isn't fully torn but Miller also has a flexor strain in the elbow.

The 26-year-old Miller was hoping to avoid surgery and was considering alternatives, such as plasma-rich platelet injections or stem cell treatment, which promote healing. Even that course of treatment would likely have kept him out for the remainder of the 2017 season.

"That's the thing, you don't want it to not work out and end up missing a lot more time," Miller said Thursday. "The biggest thing is I want to be back on the field. There's no doubt about that. I want to do that as soon as possible. But to be able to do that, is that the smartest thing to do? That's what we're looking into."

Miller was 2-2 with a 4.09 ERA in four starts with Arizona. He did not allow more than three runs in either of those starts.