Injuries & Moves: Mets place three on IL
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March 28: RHP Kodai Senga (strained posterior capsule in right shoulder), RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder impingement), RHP Max Kranick (left hamstring strain) placed on 15-day IL
The assignments of Senga and Kranick to the injured list were not surprises, as both pitchers had long been expected to miss significant chunks of the season.
Reid-Foley's injury was. At the tail end of Spring Training, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said multiple times that Reid-Foley was healthy following a dead-arm period midway through camp. The right-hander pitched in a Minor League game on March 21 and a Grapefruit League contest three days later. But on the eve of the regular season, the Mets placed him on the IL. That allowed them to carry two other out-of-options relievers, Michael Tonkin and Yohan Ramírez, on their Opening Day roster.
March 27: RHP Kodai Senga (strained posterior capsule in right shoulder) begins throwing program
During the Mets' workout on Wednesday, Senga threw off flat ground in the outfield. It was the second day of a throwing program for Senga, who will complete at least the first portion of his workout in New York.
Now that Senga has begun throwing, he will need at least six weeks -- and possibly more -- to ramp up in a normal Spring Training-style progression. That will take Senga into early May at a minimum, though his absence is likely to extend longer given the Mets' desire not to push him on an every-five-days throwing schedule.
March 26: RHP Phil Bickford, DH Luke Voit released
The Mets released Bickford and Voit after they did not make the team. In Bickford's case, his release came after he cleared waivers.
Bickford, whom the Mets acquired prior to last year's Trade Deadline, was one of four relievers on the 40-man roster fighting for two available spots. The others -- Michael Tonkin, Sean Reid-Foley and Yohan Ramírez -- will remain on the bubble until Thursday's deadline for teams to set rosters. Because Bickford won his arbitration case over the Mets this offseason, his $900,000 salary was not guaranteed.
Voit was on a Minor League contract.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Kodai Senga (right posterior shoulder capsule strain)
Expected return: Possibly May
Senga began throwing a baseball the week of March 25, as doctors cleared him to proceed with baseball activities following an MRI earlier in the month. But Senga's recovery will continue to move slowly, as he is essentially starting a Spring Training progression from scratch. His 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.
Essentially, that means Senga is likely to be out until mid-May in a best-case scenario. It's possible his absence could linger into June. (Last updated: March 28)
RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: TBD
Reid-Foley missed time midway through Spring Training due to right arm fatigue, but he made it back to the mound for a Minor League appearance on March 21 and a Grapefruit League game three days later. Before the Mets flew north for Opening Day, manager Carlos Mendoza said that Reid-Foley was healthy. But the Mets subsequently placed him on the IL with a shoulder issue. His return timeline is unclear. (Last updated: March 28)
RHP Max Kranick (left hamstring strain)
Expected return: Possibly April
Kranick was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain following his first Grapefruit League start, a successful debut that he hoped might have been the beginning of his bid for a rotation job. Instead, Kranick spent March rehabbing. The issue ended any chance Kranick had of earning the fifth starter gig, though he could become an option again as soon as April. (Last updated: March 28)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
LHP David Peterson (recovery from left hip surgery)
Expected return: 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 surgery carries a typical recovery timetable of six or seven months. Peterson, who began throwing bullpen sessions in March, is targeting a return to active duty as soon as he's eligible to come off the 60-day IL on May 27. Once healthy, he figures to return to his role as a rotation depth option. (Last updated: March 20)
INF Ronny Mauricio (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 Mets transferred him to the 60-day IL at the start of Spring Training. (Last updated: Feb. 14)