Mets reliever Drew Smith will endure season-ending elbow surgical procedure on Friday, he tells Tim Healey of Newsday. The righty remains to be not sure whether or not he’ll want a whole Tommy John surgical procedure or the marginally much less vital inside brace process. It’s not unusual for the surgeon to make that call throughout the operation primarily based on the extent of the ligament harm.
Smith landed on the injured listing with an elbow sprain a number of weeks in the past. He admitted in late June that an preliminary analysis decided that surgical procedure was doubtless needed. Smith went for a second opinion thereafter however evidently won’t be able to keep away from going beneath the knife. Even in one of the best case situation the place he “solely” wants the interior brace process, he’s prone to miss round a calendar 12 months. A full UCL reconstruction might value him your entire 2025 season.
Smith has spent his entire main league profession with the Mets. Initially drafted by the Rays in 2015, he was dealt to New York as a prospect for first baseman Lucas Duda. Smith made his MLB debut the next 12 months. He pitched in 27 video games as a rookie earlier than present process Tommy John surgical procedure that worn out his 2019 marketing campaign and restricted him throughout the shortened 12 months.
Over the previous three and a half seasons, Smith has been a strong contributor within the center to later innings. He turned in a 2.40 ERA by means of 41 1/3 innings in 2021. His ERA ticked up over the following couple seasons, however he missed extra bats and logged a number of extra innings alongside the way in which. The 30-year-old righty had been out to a powerful begin this season, posting a 3.06 ERA with a 29.1% strikeout fee (narrowly the very best of his profession) throughout 17 2/3 frames.
Smith is an impending free agent, so this might symbolize a troublesome finish to his stint in Queens. It’s a very unlucky time for what’ll be the second vital elbow process of his profession. Smith’s early-season efficiency appeared as if it’d place him for a powerful two-year deal. The surgical procedure might restrict him to a barely backloaded two-year supply at a a lot decrease base wage, particularly if he’ll have to miss all of subsequent season.
