Red Sox righthander Junichi Tazawa will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, ending his 2010 season before it starts.

Tazawa, who will have the surgery on Tuesday, will likely return to the mound at some point near the beginning of the 2011 season. Signed out of Japan in 2008, the 23-year-old Tazawa ranked as Boston's No. 6 prospect and the organization's second-best pitching prospect behind righthander Casey Kelly entering the season.

Tazawa made four starts in six appearances in the big leagues in 2009, though he spent the majority of the year with Double-A Portland. He was expected to open 2010 with Triple-A Pawtucket.