Chicago Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish, whose season came to an abrupt end three weeks ago due to an elbow injury, underwent a cleanup procedure on his pitching elbow Wednesday, the team said.

The 32-year-old Japanese underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure in Dallas as recommended by orthopedic surgeon James Andrew. The Cubs are expecting him to be ready for spring training in 2019.

"I had surgery to remove debris from my right elbow today. Apparently it's a simple surgery and it looks like I'll be in 100 percent shape by spring training," Darvish said on Twitter.

The team announced in late August that Darvish will miss the rest of the 2018 season after suffering a stress reaction in his right elbow.

Darvish signed a six-year, $126 million deal with the club in February. He has not pitched since May 20 and has only made eight starts all season, going 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA.

Japanese compatriot Masahiro Tanaka, who plays for the New York Yankees, underwent the same elbow procedure in the 2015 offseason. He was back on the mound for preseason games in March the following year and pitched on Opening Day.