Two Mets pitchers are dealing with vital long-term accidents, as The Athletic’s Tim Britton experiences that Tommy John surgical procedure has been advisable for each Tylor Megill and Reed Garrett. Each right-handers are contemplating their choices earlier than committing to the TJ process, plus Garrett already has one other surgical procedure awaiting within the type of a deliberate process to maneuver a nerve in his proper arm.
The 30-year-old Megill final pitched on June 14, as he was sidelined by an elbow sprain that (based on the pitcher) didn’t include any structural harm on the time. Nevertheless, Megill’s rehab task was shut down attributable to some renewed elbow discomfort throughout a Triple-A begin on September 7, and the newest set of exams has apparently delivered the unwelcome information of UCL harm.
Garrett has been battling elbow points for over a month, as he missed two weeks (spanning the tip of August and begin of September) attributable to elbow irritation. That minimal IL stint didn’t appear to be trigger for concern till yesterday, when Garrett was returned to the 15-day IL with a sprain in his throwing elbow.
Britton writes that Garrett may go for a PRP injection after which see if that is sufficient to heal his elbow, but the nerve surgical procedure and the connected four-month restoration interval are further obstacles. If Garrett acquired a Tommy John surgical procedure comparatively quickly, he would very doubtless be able to go by Opening Day 2027. If he goes the PRP route, he wouldn’t be capable of get the shot till after he’s totally recovered from the nerve process, so there’s a threat that Garrett would find yourself losing loads of restoration time if he ended up needing a TJ surgical procedure anyway. Garrett turns 33 in January, including to the ticking-clock nature of what an prolonged absence means for his profession as a complete.
On the very least, the 2025 season at a minimal is over for each pitchers. That already considerably appeared just like the case anyway given Megill’s setback after a prolonged absence and Garrett’s late-season elbow sprain, but now even the faint hope of a return within the occasion of a deep Mets playoff run has been squashed. It leaves the pitching-needy Mets with much more questions to handle about their arms depth if New York even makes it into the postseason, however the bigger-picture subject is clearly the unlucky chance that Megill and Garrett will each miss your entire 2026 marketing campaign.
Megill has primarily pitched as a starter over his 5 MLB seasons (all with the Mets), however he has been deployed extra as a back-end rotation arm or perhaps a fill-in moderately than a really steady member of the rotation. Megill has usually performed effectively when given the chance, and he took a step ahead in 2025 by posting a 3.95 ERA over 14 begins and 68 1/3 innings. His 10.8% stroll price is on the excessive facet, however Megill’s 29.2% strikeout price was a profession finest, and he additionally had very sturdy whiff and barrel charges.
2025 can be Garrett’s fifth Main League season, although he additionally spent the 2020-21 seasons pitching in Japan. Garrett joined the Mets on a waiver declare from the Orioles in 2023, after which lastly carved out a foothold for himself within the majors as a workhorse member of New York’s bullpen. Since Opening Day 2024, Garrett has a 3.83 ERA in 111 appearances and 112 2/3 innings for the Amazins, with a 30.3% strikeout price and 11.5% stroll price. Other than the management points, Garrett has been a reasonably steady member of a Mets bullpen that has appeared to be in fixed flux.
Megill is in his first yr of arbitration eligibility, and is taking part in on a $1.975MM wage in 2025. Garrett is barely arb-eligible for the primary time this coming offseason, and as a non-closing aid pitcher, would have been in line for a reasonably modest assured wage in 2026. Between these low salaries and the nice numbers the duo have posted of their time in Queens, the Mets will in all probability nonetheless tender each pitchers contracts even within the occasion that they endure TJ surgical procedures, because the group will nonetheless have management when each are (presumably) wholesome in 2027.
