Jordan Schafer's attempt to become a two-way player in the major leagues has come to a halt.

Schafer, who signed a minor-league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals this winter with an eye towards making it back to the show in a hybrid role, will undergo left elbow surgery on Friday after an MRI revealed damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, the team announced. It's unclear how long he'll be out of action; as a result; the Cardinals say Friday's surgery will determine whether he'll require Tommy John surgery or another method of repair.

The 30-year-old had played as an outfielder for his entire professional career prior to last season, when he converted to the mound in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. During his first season as a pitcher in 2016 Schafer split time between Double-A and Triple-A; in 40 total appearances, all but two coming in relief, he recorded a 3.83 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, and 59 strikeouts to 18 walks over 49 1/3 innings.

Schafer was struggling to perform in Cardinals camp this spring, perhaps due to the elbow issue. In 3 2/3 innings this spring he posted a 9.82 ERA, and went 0-for-3 with a pair of walks at the plate.

Schafer last appeared in the majors with Minnesota in 2015.

He owns a career slash line of .228/.308/.307 with 12 homers and 103 stolen bases over parts of six big-league seasons with the Twins, Atlanta Braves, and Houston Astros.