PHILADELPHIA — The Mets catchers have been taking a beating this month. And the workforce was pressured to close down a recovering depth starter attributable to aggravation of Tylor Megill’s elbow damage. Luis Torrens went on the injured record Monday afternoon with a proper arm contusion. Francisco Alvarez has been taking part in by means of a damaged finger and sprained thumb UCL.
Megill is probably going out for the season after experiencing tightness in his elbow throughout his Sunday rehab begin with Triple-A Syracuse.
Torrens was hit on the forearm whereas making an attempt to dam a ball Saturday evening in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds. He was hit beneath the bone, which has the Mets feeling optimistic that he prevented any fractures or breaks. Nonetheless, he hasn’t undergone any imaging. Nonetheless, the Mets don’t see it as a long-term damage. They anticipate to have the ability to activate him after the ten days have handed, and he’ll have the ability to decide up the place he left off after the irritation subsides.
“It was a really, really tough decision,” Torrens stated by means of a workforce translator Monday at Residents Financial institution Park. “My throwing arm is one of the strengths of my game, so the fact that it was that difficult to throw without pain, it was kind of what made the decision.”
Alvarez was anticipated to get the majority of the taking part in time for the remainder of the month already, however Torrens was going to get loads of time behind the plate as properly. Torrens has caught 18-of-25 runners making an attempt to steal for a .581 mark, the second-best within the league. Lately, he’s gotten sizzling on the plate and the Mets have been hoping he would keep sizzling. He hit .260 with three residence runs over his final 19 video games, turning into an opposite-field menace.
Whereas the backstop might have performed by means of the damage if he wished, Torrens and the workforce felt it greatest to get a wholesome Hayden Senger from Triple-A to present the pitching employees one of the best probability they need to succeed, particularly with the Mets starting a important four-game sequence in opposition to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday evening.
“I also dealt with this in the beginning of the season, but just with how the team is currently situated, I think it’s best with Alvy a little bit banged up, and me being in the situation I am,” he stated. “I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the team to have two catchers that are banged up in some way.”
Megill has been out since June with an elbow sprain. The large righty seemed to be on the mend after making 5 minor league begins during the last month, however he felt the identical tightness as earlier than when throwing his secondary pitches Sunday. He returned to New York for imaging Monday.
The Mets anticipate to have his outcomes Tuesday, however they don’t anticipate him to have the ability to pitch once more this season.
“We’re running out of time, especially now, with him complaining about the same thing that he went down with earlier in the year,” stated supervisor Carlos Mendoza. “I don’t want to speculate here, but the fact that he’s getting another MRI, and with where we are at, like I said, it feels like we’re running out of time.”
That is the third 12 months Megill has frolicked on the injured record. In 2022, he handled biceps tendinitis and a shoulder pressure. Final 12 months, he strained his shoulder in his first begin of the season. Megill managed to keep away from the IL and pitch a career-high 126 1/3 innings in 2023, however he couldn’t keep away from a Triple-A demotion. The Mets have at all times been excessive on his potential, however to date, his profession has been stricken by inconsistency as a lot as damage.
The 30-year-old will likely be out of minor league choices subsequent season, however he’s nonetheless beneath workforce management for 2 extra years.
Middle fielder Jose Siri is “close” to lastly returning after being out many of the season, however the Mets didn’t have a date in thoughts as of Monday. Siri fractured his tibia fouling a ball off his leg in Sacramento in early April. Tyrone Taylor and Siri might give the Mets two high quality defensive middle fielders for the house stretch.
