Mets Injury Tracker: Justin Verlander throws three simulated innings, scheduled for Friday rehab start
Here is the latest news and possible return dates for Mets players…
April 23, 5:34 p.m.
Mets skipper Buck Showalter met with reporters ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the San Francisco Giants, explaining that Justin Verlander threw 43 pitches during three simulated innings earlier that day.
The plan remains that Verlander, who felt “all good” after his three innings, will make a rehab start on Friday, potentially with the St. Lucie Mets, but exactly where he will pitch hasn’t yet been finalized.
April 22, 3:10 p.m.
On the day the Mets got Starling Marte back in the lineup Saturday after missing back-to-back games, manager Buck Showalter took the time to provide updates on several players’ progress.
On Marte, Showalter added he felt like they could have “pushed it” and had the outfielder play on Friday and sounded hopeful that the neck stiffness that kept him out was behind the outfielder.
Showalter said Justin Verlander (right teres major strain) will throw live tomorrow and “So far so good, all the reports we’ve gotten back have been on task. Hopefully, that continues.”
Carlos Carrasco (right elbow inflammation) is two or three days away from throwing, Showalter said on Saturday. “I think there’s some unknown, until he starts throwing we’ll know where he is.”
Left-hander Jose Quintana is “doing well” and “making the progress he’s supposed to,” the Mets’ skipper said.
The club will be cautious with catcher Omar Narvaez, who strained his left calf on April 5 and was expected to miss almost two months.
“Those calf injuries, one thing we do know that if you go too fast and you jump the gun you can lose him for the year if you go too fast,” Showalter said. “There’s a pretty good track record of that injury and what you gotta be careful that you don’t do.”
Right-hander Elieser Hernandez, who landed on the IL after having shoulder discomfort late in spring training, is getting close and “everything’s progressing [after] he had a point there about a week ago where it was kinda flatlining, he wasn’t getting any better or worse,” Showalter said.
“It’s two steps forward, one step back… mostly forward now,” for pitcher Stephen Ridings. “Haven’t had anything negative in the last three or four [updates] I’ve read, but he’d be a nice guy to get in the mix,” the manager said. The Queens’ club claimed the 27-year-old right-hander off waivers from the Yankees last November and he was recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the spring.
Sam Coonrod is not throwing yet, but the righty is “meeting all the markers,” Showalter said, adding the organization has to “slow-play” the lat-strain injury discovered in March that put him on the 60-day injured list.
April 21, 8:35 p.m.
Starling Marte is not in the starting lineup for the second straight game Friday with neck stiffness. However, manager Buck Showalter is optimistic that his outfielder will return this weekend.
“He’s better today and I’m hope he starts tomorrow,” Showalter said. “We’ll see how between now and gametime manages if we can use him in certain situations tonight.”
Marte was available off the bench Thursday, but did not enter the game.
April 20, 7:55 p.m.
After Starling Marte left Wednesday’s game early, the Mets kept him out of the lineup for the team’s first game against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
Buck Showalter told reporters prior to Thursday’s game that the outfielder is considered day-to-day, and that there’s a possibility Marte can come off the bench.
“We’ll see if he’s a starter tomorrow and see, today, if he can play off the bench,” he said.
April 19, 5:48 p.m.
After Buck Showalter told reporters earlier in the day that Carlos Carrasco received an injection in his right elbow, the Mets announced that the reasoning for that injection is a bone spur in the pitcher’s right elbow.
As Showalter said, Carrasco will be shut down from throwing for the next 3-5 days, at which point he will be reevaluated.
April 19, 4:40 p.m.
Starling Marte exited Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the sixth inning.
It’s unclear exactly why Marte left the game. Before leaving, Marte had gone 0-for-2 at the plate with a couple of double play balls, and while he wasn’t necessarily running hard on either of them, that’s been pretty standard for him since coming back from November surgery on both groin muscles.
Mark Canha entered the game in left field, with Jeff McNeil moving from left to right.
April 19, 1:59 p.m.
Carlos Carrasco received an injection in his right elbow and will be shut down for three-to-five days, manager Buck Showalter said.
The right-hander will be reevaluated after the shutdown period.
Carrasco was placed on the IL earlier this week due to elbow inflammation, with the move retroactive to April 16.
April 19, 1:49 p.m.
The Mets are getting a reinforcement for their bullpen, with Tommy Hunter being activated off the IL ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
To make room for Hunter on the 26-man roster, Denyi Reyes was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
Reyes had pitched well for the Mets, tossing 6.1 scoreless innings over five appearances while posting a 0.79 WHIP.
Hunter struggled before hitting the IL, allowing five runs in four innings over two appearances.
He excelled for the Mets last season, with a 2.42 ERA in 18 games.
April 18, 6:38 p.m.
The Mets announced Tuesday that RHP Carlos Carrasco will be placed on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation. This move will be retroactive to April 16.
In a corresponding move, the Mets recalled RHP Jeff Brigham from Triple-A Syracuse and RHP Dennis Santana has been outrighted to Syracuse. Santana was designated for assignment after his outing on Friday, April 14 and cleared waivers.
April 17, 8:52 p.m.
Mets manager Buck Showalter shared positive injury updates on RHPs Max Scherzer (back/side soreness), Justin Verlander (low-grade teres major strain) and Tommy Hunter (back spasms) before the Mets played the Dodgers at 10:10 p.m. in Los Angeles.
“(Scherzer) had a good day today,” Showalter said. “Looks like he’s a go on Wednesday. Justin’s doing well, had another good day. Tommy’s feeling good from his outing, so Tommy’s eligible on Wednesday.”
The Mets close a three-game series at the Dodgers with Wednesday’s 3:10 p.m. start, which puts Scherzer in line to face Los Angeles RHP and former New York starter Noah Syndergaard.
“(Scherzer) threw some today off the mound, I believe,” Showalter said. “Verlander is on Tuesday, that’s tomorrow. He throws his second bullpen tomorrow, and then the next step is BP and then he’ll throw a game in his next outing — after a work day in between.”
April 15, 2:35 p.m.
The Mets placed RHP Stephen Nogosek on the 15-day IL with a right elbow bone bruise. Nogosek was struck by a line drive in Friday’s win over the Oakland A‘s and had to leave the game.
In addition, the Mets made a few moves. They selected the contract of RHP Jimmy Yacabonis from Triple-A Syracuse. He will wear No. 73.
The Mets designated RHP Dennis Santana for assignment after he pitched 2.1 innings and picked up the win on Friday, and recalled RHP Jose Butto (who will wear No. 70) from Syracuse.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Buck Showalter said Justin Verlander‘s work day (his bullpen session) went “real well.” The manager said he didn’t know the exact number of pitches he threw but the plan remains that he’ll have one more bullpen before Verlander throws live batting practice.
April 14, 8:12 p.m.
Justin Verlander is set for a bullpen this week in Florida, Buck Showalter said from Oakland before the Mets played the A’s.
“I think he’s a go for a side,” Showalter said. “That’s good news. He’s going to throw a bullpen.”
Showalter added, “I think it’s probably tomorrow if he didn’t do it today — but I haven’t heard yet. I know that the word was that he was ready to take his bullpen step.”
Showalter later explained the plan for Verlander, whom the Mets placed on the 15-day IL March 31 (retroactive to three days earlier) with a low-grade teres major strain.
“Before he takes the BP — it’s side, side, BP and then we’ll consider whether or not he’s ready for a game,” Showalter said.
April 12, 11:38 a.m.
Mets skipper Buck Showalter provided a positive update on Justin Verlander on Wednesday morning, saying that the right-hander had a “really good day” on Tuesday, when he threw off flat ground.
“He’s doing good,” Showalter said. “Very close to… putting his foot on the pedal a little bit. He had a really good day yesterday. The people that work with him were very encouraged and when we go west, he’s going south. Hopefully, a side (session) happens soon, but we know he’s going to need to do a couple of those and a BP day and then we’ll put him in a game down there.
“We’ve been very cautious with it. He’s, as they say, champing at the bit, but we want to make sure we resolve everything in there before we turn it loose.”
April 11, 4:45 p.m.
Justin Verlander continues making good progress as he works his way back from a low-grade teres major strain.
Prior to Tuesday’s game against the Padres, Buck Showalter told reporters he had “nothing negative” to report on the right-hander’s status.
Verlander is yet to throw off a mound, but he was seen tossing the ball off flat ground again on Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field.
Verlander is first eligible to return from the IL on Wednesday, though he isn’t there quite yet. Showalter doesn’t expect the future Hall of Famer to make his highly anticipated Mets debut during their upcoming West Coast road trip later this week.
Instead, he will head down to Florida to continue his rehab. After clearing some more hurdles, Showalter expects Verlander will throw in a minor league game, though plans could always change.
Verlander, who has been out since Opening Day, recently said it’s “very reasonable” to expect him back before the end of April.
While Verlander won’t be back in LA with the team, right-hander Tommy Hunter is hoping to be able to return from the injured list when first eligible on April 19 against the Dodgers.
Hunter felt “really good” after throwing 40 pitches in live batting practice on Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field.
The veteran was placed on the 15-day IL prior to last Tuesday’s game against the Brewers due to back spasms.
Hunter, who has dealt with his fair share of back issues in the past, had thrown 44 pitches across two innings of work the day before. He has an 11.25 ERA in two outings so far this season.
April 10, 4:45 p.m.
Prior to Monday’s game against the Padres, Buck Showalter told reporters that Starling Marte is dealing with neck soreness but does not have a concussion after exiting Sunday’s game against the Marlins.
The 34-year-old departed Sunday’s game after a head-first slide into third base.
Marte hit .304 through the first 10 games of the season.
April 7, 9:30 a.m.
Catcher Omar Narvaez has been placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to April 6, with a left calf strain, the team announced.
Narvaez was diagnosed with a medium to high-grade strain on Thursday and the Mets said the typical return to play for this type of injury is eight-to-nine weeks.
The 31-year-old was slashing .286/.353/.286 in 17 plate appearances over five games as the starting catcher in his first season with the Mets.
As expected, the team called up top prospect Francisco Alvarez from Triple-A Syracuse, as he and Tomas Nido will now split time at catcher with Narvaez sidelined.
April 6, 12:34 p.m.
Omar Narvaez has been diagnosed with a medium to high-grade strain in his left calf, and will be placed on the IL.
Per the Mets, a typical return to play for this type of injury is eight-to-nine weeks.
With Narvaez out, Francisco Alvarez — who was summoned from Triple-A Syracuse after Wednesday’s game — will be activated ahead of the Mets’ home opener on Friday.
Alvarez was off to a hot start power-wise with Syracuse, with two home runs, four RBI, and a 1.056 OPS in 16 at-bats.
Narvaez, who signed a two-year deal this past offseason, was slashing .286/.353/.286 in 17 plate appearances over five games as the starting catcher.
Tomas Nido, who was serving as Narvaez’s backup, will now be splitting time with Alvarez, who spent lots of time in spring training honing his receiving skills.
April 5, 4:37 p.m.
Justin Verlander, who is on the IL due to a low-grade teres major strain, had follow-up imaging that showed reduced inflammation.
Verlander, who has been throwing while on the IL, will continue to throw as he works his way back.
When discussing the injury before Opening Day, Verlander said it was something he likely would’ve pitched through if it was later in the season.
His IL stint is retroactive to March 28, meaning he is eligible to return on April 12.
Meanwhile, Omar Narvaez felt something in his calf during Wednesday’s game against the Brewers in Milwaukee and was subbed out before the bottom of the ninth.
He is considered day-to-day, saying he thinks he’ll be okay.
“Just a little tightness as soon as I swung,” Narvaez said. “I’d rather call it a day and be safe for the next days. .. It wasn’t going to do anything good for the team to try to play hero, so just give the team a chance to try to win the ballgame. I was thinking more for the team and not to play hero in that situation.”
April 4, 4:53 p.m.
The Mets announced that reliever Tommy Hunter has been placed on the 15-day IL with back spasms. The right-hander threw 44 pitches in Monday’s loss to Milwaukee.
Additionally, right-hander Denyi Reyes (No. 72) has been selected to the major league roster, and fellow reliever Bryce Montes de Oca has been transferred to the 60-day IL.
March 30, 1:50 p.m.
Jose Quintana was in good spirits while talking to reporters for the first time since his scary injury earlier this offseason. The veteran left-hander is feeling good and he’s happy to be back around his teammates.
Quintana was forced to undergo bone graft surgery due to a rib fracture he suffered during spring training.
When looking at the initial scan, team doctors found a lesion on his rib. That discovery prompted a biopsy which general manager Billy Eppler said was part of the reason for the delay in Quintana’s status report.
The lesion was tested and came back as benign, which was when Quintana said things began to get a bit scary for him.
“After we got the news that it was something that was weak with my bone, that’s when I felt a little scared because it was more about life,” he said. “As soon as we found that and after surgery I took some time. I am healthy and now I feel way better and I’m starting to start my process getting back to baseball.”
While there’s still no exact timeline for his return to the team, Quintana is on the road to recovery and he remains hopeful he’ll be able to get back on the mound at some point this season.
“This week I start moving and doing workouts, and we’ll take it just one step at a time,” he said. “The good thing is I feel better and I’m starting. So I don’t know when I’m gonna be back, but for sure it’s gonna be one day close.”
Quintana started 32 games for the Cardinals and Pirates last season and posted a 2.93 ERA.
March 30, 10:27 a.m.
RHP Bryce Montes de Oca underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday and will miss the entire 2023 season, according to multiple reports.
Montes de Oca was scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday to remove bone fragments from his right elbow after being initially diagnosed with a stress reaction in his elbow.
Doctors removed a large bone spur and a bone fragment in the back of the elbow during surgery, but then tested the UCL and determined it needed to be replaced, according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
It’s Montes de Oca’s second Tommy John surgery, as the right-hander underwent the procedure in 2013 while in high school, per Michael Mayer.
The 26-year-old appeared in three spring training games for the Mets before suffering the initial injury and impressed many with his velocity.
March 29, 5:04 p.m.
RHP Elieser Hernandez will begin the season on the injured list with a right shoulder strain, according to GM Billy Eppler.
Per Eppler, Hernandez had some soreness coming out of a game late last week that lingered and resulted in the right-hander taking anti-inflammatory medicine. Eppler said Hernandez has begun to play catch after being shut down for a couple of days and that he “feels fine” but will have to be built back up a little bit.
The full roster will be announced tomorrow, Epper said.
March 29, 9:44 a.m.
RHP Bryce Montes de Ocawill undergo arthroscopic surgery on Wednesday to remove bone fragments from his right elbow, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
The timetable for Montes de Oca’s return won’t be known until after surgery, but it will be a months-long absence.
The hard-throwing right-hander had been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his elbow earlier this month, and the initial plan was for him to not throw for a couple of weeks.
March 25, 4:35 p.m.
Mets manager Buck Showalter told reporters prior to Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals that outfielder Brandon Nimmo would not be limited.
While Showalter joked that every player is “limited” in some capacity, Nimmo being able to swing, run and defend like a regular season game makes him probable to play Opening Day. Nimmo played four innings in center field in a minor league game this week as he recovered from minor knee and ankle sprains.
On Carlos Carrasco, Showalter said that his starter’s elbow is doing well.
“He had a real good work day and is exactly where he needs to be,” he said. Buck compared Carrasco’s “elbow maintenance” to an oil change that he gets every year. It just happened to be during spring training and not another time of the year.
Carrasco will stay in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and start on Tuesday.
On Starling Marte, Showalter says that he hasn’t seen lingering effects of his offseason surgery and said “so far, so good.”
March 24, 4:25 p.m.
Brandon Nimmo is expected to play Saturday in the team’s spring training game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Buck Showalter said Friday.
Showalter added that Nimmo “felt good” after playing four innings in center field in a minor league game as he’s been battling minor knee and ankle sprains.
The manager said that Nimmo will play Saturday as long as he wakes up feeling OK.
March 23. 3:40 p.m.
Brandon Nimmo, who has been dealing with minor knee and ankle sprains, continues to make progress.
The outfielder took five at-bats in a minor league game on Thursday, with his trips to the plate including a triple that he ran out.
He did drills on the field on Thursday, including hitting, running, and fielding.
Barring a setback, Nimmo appears on track to be ready for Opening Day.
March 22, 11:17 a.m.
Edwin Diaz, who turned 29 years old on Wednesday, tweeted an update as he recovers from knee surgery.
“Regarding my health, I feel super good, positive in rehabilitation so I can return as soon as possible,” the closer wrote in Spanish.
Diaz had surgery last week to repair a full tear of his right patellar tendon, and could miss the entire season.
However, while GM Billy Eppler said the typical recovery time is eight months, he noted that some players make it back in as few as six months — though that’s more of an exception than the norm.
In other injury news, Brooks Raley (dealing with a hamstring injury) threw on Wednesday, with manager Buck Showalter saying “so far so good” regarding Raley’s progression.
March 22, 10:07 a.m.
Brandon Nimmo did hitting, fielding, and running during the Mets’ off-day on Tuesday and is hoping to play in New York’s last two spring training games this weekend, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Per Mike Puma of The New York Post, Mets officials “liked what they saw” from Nimmo on Tuesday.
Speaking on Sunday morning, Nimmo said he “definitely” thinks he’ll be ready for the start of the regular season.
The Mets open the year on March 30 against the Marlins in Miami.
“Low (grade) sprain, ankle and knee, which is honestly best-case scenario with what happened,” Nimmo said on Sunday. “Pretty glad about that. Right now we’re just taking it day-by-day. I feel a lot better today than I did yesterday. Once we get all that inflammation out of there, I’ll feel a lot better with it. So, I’m not ruling anything out right now.
“In my heart of hearts, yeah, I do think [I’ll be ready for Opening Day]. Obviously, we have to see how it goes, but yeah, right now I definitely think that I’ll be ready for Opening Day.”
March 18, 4:10 p.m.
Mets CF Brandon Nimmo is week-to-week with low-grade sprains in his right ankle and knee after he underwent imaging Saturday on both areas while LHP Jose Quintana had successful bone graft surgery for a rib lesion Friday, GM Billy Eppler said Saturday.
“Brandon, this morning, woke up — he had a little knee pain, also, so we ended up doing an MRI on both, his right ankle and right knee,” Eppler said. “Both of those showed a low-grade sprain, so good news — everything’s structurally sound. So he’s in a week-to-week situation right now. We’ve got some time before Opening Day, so we’ll just continue to watch him, get an update on him probably about a week from now and then we’ll be able to give a little bit better timetable on him. But all in all, feel good about the results that we got compared to what they could’ve looked like. So that’s his situation.
“And then the other one, Quintana — Quintana had successful surgery last night to perform the bone graft. They were able to kind of clear some of the area that had the lesion and pack with some healthy bone that they actually took out of his left hip and he’ll be traveling tonight back to Miami. So he’s in good spirits, in a good spot. Like I said originally, it’ll probably be about a week and then we’ll start moving him around a little bit more. So he’s more in recovery, post-surgical-recovery mode right now. So that’s the updates on those two.”
March 17, 8:30 p.m.
The Mets announced that Brandon Nimmo left Friday night’s game against the Miami Marlins with right ankle soreness and he will undergo imaging on Saturday.
Nimmo had to be helped off the field by trainers after awkwardly sliding into second base in the bottom of the fourth inning.
March 17, 7:53 p.m.
Brandon Nimmo needed help from trainers and limped off the field in the fourth inning on Friday night after an awkward slide into second base.
Nimmo was down on the ground in pain after the slide and appeared to grab his right knee.
Manager Buck Showalter and team trainers then rushed out to check on Nimmo and help him off the field.
March 16, 8:00 p.m.
The Mets announced on Thursday night that Edwin Diaz underwent a successful repair of the patellar tendon in his right knee earlier in the afternoon.
The All-Star closer is expected to begin a formal rehab program in about a week, though he likely will miss the whole 2023 season.
Diaz suffered the injury in the midst of team Puerto Rico’s celebration after he closed down a 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night in the WBC.
He went for additional testing on Thursday, and that confirmed the worst. The Mets will now be without their shutdown reliever for the foreseeable future.
Diaz posted to Instagram following his surgery and thanked everyone for their support, adding that “the operation was successful.”
“Puerto Rico, I’m good!!” Diaz wrote. “My family and I are beyond grateful with all the support we have received from you though your messages and prayers. The operation was successful thank God and we hope the recovery will be the same. Keep supporting our Team Rubio, don’t leave!! Grateful and blessed for the love shown to me I will never forget it PR thank you!”
March 15, 11:05 p.m.
Mets reliever Edwin Diaz suffered a knee injury after Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night.
The injury came after the final out that sent Puerto Rico into the WBC quarterfinals while the team was celebrating. Diaz was carried off the field by coaches and teammates.
According to SNY’s Andy Martino, the Mets are aware of the situation and are “on top of the process.” Diaz is currently getting an X-ray, but it’s unclear when a diagnosis will be shared.
After the game, Puerto Rico manager Yadier Molina had no update for Diaz.
“I think it was the right knee,” Molina said. “He’s being treated here at the ballpark, but I don’t know [the diagnosis].”
The Mets put out the following statement regarding Diaz’s injury.
“Edwin Diaz injured his right knee after tonight’s WBC game. He will undergo imaging tomorrow and we will update when appropriate.”
March 15, 2:06 p.m.
Right-handed reliever Sam Coonrod, who was a candidate for one of the final spots in the bullpen, has been diagnosed with a high-grade late strain.
Coonrod felt discomfort following his outing on Tuesday, and underwent imaging that revealed the injury.
He had been having a terrific spring, firing five scoreless innings while allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out seven.
With Coonrod no longer an option for the Opening Day roster, it could open the door for other relievers including Stephen Nogosek and Jimmy Yacabonis.
March 15, 11:35 a.m.
Buck Showalter told reporters on Wednesday that Kodai Senga is expected to get the start on Thursday against the Washington Nationals.
Senga was scratched from his scheduled start last Saturday due to tendinitis in his right index finger, but he threw a bullpen session on Tuesday.
Senga also spoke on Wednesday, saying that as long as Showalter said he’s good to go, then he will indeed be ready to take the mound.
Source: Yahoo Sports
