Injuries & Moves: Megill nearing return; Raley sees improvement

May 3rd, 2024

LATEST NEWS

May 3: Megill to make at least one more rehab start
Right-hanger (right shoulder strain), who made just one MLB start this season before his injury, is slated for at least one more rehab, either at Double-A Binghamton or Triple-A Syracuse. Megill threw 51 pitches over 2 2/3 innings with Binghamton on Thursday. He allowed two hits (one a home run), walked none and struck out four.

“All the reports are positive,’’ Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s still on schedule for his next outing, then we’ll go from there and make a decision.’’

May 3: Second MRI shows improvement for Raley
Left-handed reliever , battling elbow inflammation, got a encouraging result after a second MRI, and appears likely to avoid surgery, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. Raley, who began the season with seven scoreless innings in eight appearances, will continue to increase the intensity in his throwing program.

“When he first went down, we thought it was going to be a quick ramp-up in 15 days, but that wasn’t the case,’’ Mendoza said. “It’s going to take a lot longer than we anticipated. He’ll continue throwing. The MRI showed the inflammation is getting better.’’

10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

LHP Brooks Raley (left elbow inflammation)
Expected return: Possibly May
Raley, a heavily used reliever who was having trouble recovering between outings, was a surprise addition to the Mets' injured list before their April 21 game against the Dodgers. An MRI revealed no structural damage, and Raley received a cortisone shot to reduce the inflammation in his elbow. Although he was throwing off flat ground as of an April 26 update, Raley subsequently felt enough additional discomfort for the Mets to slow his throwing program and send him for additional testing.

The team no longer expects Raley back when he's first eligible on May 6, but a second MRI showed the inflammation improving, and manager Carlos Mendoza said Raley is now likely to avoid surgery. (Last updated: May 3)

RHP (right shoulder strain)
Expected return: Mid-May
Megill left his season debut on March 31 after four innings due to right shoulder discomfort, which turned out to be a strain. He refrained from throwing for about a week, then began ramping up again, throwing his first bullpen session on April 19. He struck out six batters during a two-inning rehab start for High-A Brooklyn on April 27, then threw 2 2/3 innings with Double-A Binghamton on May 2. He will make one more rehab start, after which he may be ready to rejoin the big league club. (Last updated: May 3)

RHP (right shoulder soreness)
Expected return:
Mid-May
Smith began feeling shoulder tightness against the Dodgers on April 20, but he felt well enough to appear against the Giants three days later. After that outing, Smith told manager Carlos Mendoza that he was sore. The Mets hope Smith will miss just the minimum two weeks.

“We gave him a couple of days. … He came in Friday and played catch and was feeling it a little bit, and that’s when we decided to take an MRI and it showed inflammation,” Mendoza said. (Last updated: April 27)

C (torn ligament in left thumb)
Expected return: Late June
Alvarez, who tore a ligament in his left thumb in an April 19 game against the Dodgers, underwent surgery to fix it four days later. The Mets expect him to miss approximately eight weeks. They plan to be careful with their starting backstop, given how much stress catching can place on the thumb. For as long as Alvarez is sidelined, Omar Narváez and Tomás Nido will split duties behind the plate. (Last updated: April 23)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Kodai Senga (right posterior shoulder capsule strain)
Expected return: Late May or June
On April 10, the Mets transferred Senga to the 60-day IL, making him ineligible to return until May 27. That considerably clarified the timeline for Senga, who began the equivalent of a Spring Training progression when he resumed throwing off flat ground the week of March 25.

Senga's ramp-up period could last longer than that of a typical pitcher due to the Mets' preference to have him pitch every six days instead of every five. Even during the flat-ground portion of his recovery, Senga took a full week before he started playing catch every day. He threw multiple bullpen sessions the week of April 22 and faced hitters for the first time on April 29. Depending on his recovery, Senga will begin a Minor League rehab assignment on or around May 11.

It wouldn't be surprising for his absence to linger into June. (Last updated: April 29)

LHP David Peterson (recovery from left hip surgery)
Expected return: Late May or June
Peterson underwent surgery Nov. 6 to repair a torn labrum in his left hip, an injury that had been bothering him for years. The operation carries a typical recovery timetable of six or seven months. Peterson, who began throwing bullpen sessions in March, is targeting a return to the Majors as soon as he's eligible to come off the 60-day IL on May 27. To that end, he began a Minor League rehab assignment for Single-A St. Lucie on April 28.

Once healthy, Peterson figures to return to his role as a rotation depth option. (Last updated: April 28)

INF (recovery from right knee surgery)
Expected return: Possibly September
Mauricio underwent surgery in early January to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, which he injured during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. A typical return timetable for that operation is eight to 12 months, giving Mauricio an outside chance to rejoin the Mets in September. If not, he'll return in 2025.

The club transferred him to the 60-day IL at the start of Spring Training. (Last updated: Feb. 14)