Business as usual for the New York Mets. The theme of the year has been injuries, particularly to the team's pitching staff. Outside of Jacob DeGrom, every projected rotation member has spent time on the disabled list. Steven Matz was part of that list once this season, and he's about to join those injured ranks once again. It's not clear what the injury is, but that's just par for the course for the organization in 2017.
Mets suffer another injury
The team is not disclosing what the injury is, a result of receiving so much criticism for the way they've handled injuries so far this season (being vague isn't any better, though). The New York Daily News has heard from sources, however, that it could be an issue with his left elbow. He reportedly received a shot there on Monday. In all likelihood, this will end Matz's season with the Mets, since there's no reason to really rush him back from the disabled list.
In all likelihood, Tommy Milone will be taking Matz's spot in the rotation. He has made three starts for the team so far this season, giving up 14 earned runs - a definite drop-off.
The team doesn't have very many other options, though. Frankly, the Mets may want to lose games to earn a better draft pick for next season. They aren't going to stink all the way to the top pick, though, and research shows that the draft is a crapshoot after that first overall selection - there's no winning for this organization.
Rough year for Matz
In May 2016, Matz won the award for National League Rookie of the Month. More than a year later, that remains the high watermark of his career. He struggled for most of the rest of that season, apparently suffering a bone spur in his pitching elbow. By the end of the season, he needed a stint on the disabled list, and the Mets chose to end his season before doing any further damage to himself; the injury lingered until deep into the 2017 season.
He didn't make his debut until June 10th but looked comfortable in a win over the Atlanta Braves. The Mets would only win two of his next twelve starts, though. At this point, he's 2-7 with a horrendous 6.08 ERA and just 48 strikeouts to his name. He's been worth a negative WAR for the first time in his career, struggling with command and just having a hard time getting outs. Now, he's dealing with a similar ailment to what ended DeGrom's season last year. In all likelihood, Matz will undergo surgery while Mets fans pray for better health next season.