Chicago Cubs' Morrow shut down for the season

PHOENIX - The long and grinding road to the National League pennant just got a lot tougher to navigate for the Cubs.

Injured closer Brandon Morrow, who was expected to return to the bullpen by the end of the month, instead was shut down for the year Tuesday after an exam with the Arizona Diamondbacks' orthopedist confirmed the bone bruise in his pitching elbow was not healing well enough for him to pitch through it.

"We were hoping to bring him back, but we were certainly prepared for this reality, knowing he was trying to do something that was difficult to say the least," team president Theo Epstein said of the veteran right-hander who had planned to pitch through "discomfort" in an effort to contribute in the playoffs.

Morrow, who has not pitched since the final game before the all-star break in July, is expected to be ready to participate at full strength when spring training starts in February.

• This report was produced in partnership with the Chicago Sun-Times. For the full story, visit chicago.suntimes.com.