Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Gustavo Chacin will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday.

Chacin, 26, was initially examined by Blue Jays orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steve Mirabello, who recommended rehabilitation rather than surgery.

Ailing Gustavo Chacin has pitched just 27 1/3 innings this season.
(E. J. Schechter/Getty Images)

But the left-handed starter asked for and received a second opinion from New York Mets surgeon Dr. David Altchek, who figured exploratory surgery on Chacin's shoulder capsule might pinpoint or even correct the problem.

"It was actually his call," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said of Chacin.

"Our doctor said that he did not think he needed surgery. He wanted a second opinion, so it is his decision to go with it."

Chacin posted a 2-1 record with a 5.60 earned-run average in 27 1/3 innings over five starts before being shelved April 30.

Two nights earlier, he yielded four runs on seven hits and four walks in Toronto's 9-8 loss to the Texas Rangers.

Chacin later made three rehab starts for the triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs, but he was shut down when the discomfort resurfaced on Aug. 2.

"If they go in and find something they think needs to be fixed, they will fix it," Ricciardi said. "Once they do the surgery, if they do [reparatory] surgery … it could be six months, five months, eight months, a year — I don't know.

"It depends on what they find in there."

Chacin is 25-15 lifetime with a 4.18 ERA in 58 starts since making his major-league debut with Toronto on Sept. 20, 2004.

With files from the Canadian Press