Reliever for the New York Mets is returning to the injured list.
The New York Mets placed pitcher Drew Smith on the disabled list ahead of their game against their crosstown rivals on Wednesday due to a right elbow injury. A few hours prior to the announcement, Smith’s forearm soreness prompted Mets manager Carlos Mendoza to inform reporters that Smith would be getting an MRI.
The test findings obviously did not look promising, despite the organization withholding a lot of information. Smith will be out of the lineup for the Mets for at least the next 15 days, though it is unclear how long his absence will last.
Over those fifteen days, New York will play fourteen games. Furthermore, eight of those games fall during closer Edwin Díaz’s suspension. Since Díaz cannot be replaced on the roster while serving a suspension, the Mets were already anticipated to be severely limited in their bullpen.
Losing Smith, a potential high-leverage slugger in Díaz’s absence, will make the bullpen situation worse over the next several days.
The New York Mets Stadium Drew Smith is listed as injured.
The last time Smith threw was on Sunday evening vs the Chicago Cubs. He gave up one hit, recorded two outs (one strikeout) in three batter counts. Smith did not appear well during the outing, despite the box score indicating that he pitched well.
Cameras captured Smith shaking his arm during the outing in between pitches. The Dallas native also appeared to summon Mendoza and trainers to the mound after recording the first two outs. He was removed from the game after giving the following batter a hit.
Smith was placed on the disabled list by the Mets on Wednesday, seemingly as a result of his performance on Sunday. Smith was introduced into the match by Mendoza as soon as Díaz was sent out by the umpires for what seemed to be “sticky stuff” on his hand. The outing had been impulsively urgent, so Smith hurried through his warm-up and found it difficult to release his arm.
Smith’s right shoulder pain caused him to miss nearly six weeks of action earlier in the season. Throughout his career, the 30-year-old has also had to cope with a multitude of arm-related problems. Though the extent of the most recent arm injury is yet unknown, Mendoza told reporters he is not very worried. Smith has a lengthy history of injuries, so Mets supporters shouldn’t hold out hope for a speedy comeback.
Smith was one of the relievers Mendoza trusted in high-leverage situations, despite his lack of durability. The 30-year-old has thrown 17 2/3 innings with a 3.06 ERA (128 ERA+) and 23 strikeouts in 19 games this season. With Díaz sidelined, he seemed destined to earn more crucial innings and possibly record some saves. Instead, days after losing a reliever with a 1.66 ERA, the Mets place Smith on the disabled list.
The Mets promoted Triple-A Syracuse right-hander Ty Adcock in retaliation.
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