The injury bug has bitten the New York Mets hard for the second season in a row. Ace of the staff, Kodai Senga, has yet to appear since suffering a shoulder strain during spring training. High-leverage reliever Brooks Raley had to undergo season-ending elbow surgery.
Francisco Álvarez missed an extended period of time with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb. Edwin Díaz spent some time on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement, and the list goes on and on.
Despite that, the blue and orange remain in the thick of the wild-card race and sit just one game back of the final spot despite being two games under .500 (36-38). However, the squad’s depth took a hit when it was revealed on Friday that they had lost a reliever due to knee surgery.
Grant Hartwig underwent knee surgery on Friday
The Mets announced on Friday that relief pitcher Grant Hartwig underwent knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. According to the organization, a typical return to play from this type of operation is six to eight weeks. The Michigan native has split time between Triple-A Syracuse and the Mets this season.
Between April 17 and May 17, Hartwig made four appearances for the blue and orange, pitching 6.2 innings to a 6.75 ERA with a 1.500 WHIP while striking out four batters.
The 26-year-old has fared much better pitching in the minor leagues, throwing 23.1 innings across 20 appearances to a 2.31 ERA with a 1.286 WHIP and 23 strikeouts. Hartwig last appeared on June 12, giving up a hit and a walk across 1.1 scoreless innings.
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What does this mean for the Mets?
With a return-to-play window of six to eight weeks, the Mets may not get Hartwig back until the end of August. For now, it just affects the amount of viable bullpen arms the organization has at its disposal.
Potentially, when the 26-year-old returns, he could find himself going directly to the major leagues, with the blue and orange still having the potential to sell at the trade deadline.
