NEW YORK -- Steven Matz pitched through some slight tightness in his left elbow in the Mets' 4-3 loss to the Braves at Citi Field on Saturday, and Jim Henderson, who relieved Matz after six innings, faced only two batters before he had to leave with what manager Terry Collins called a right shoulder impingement.
After the game, Matz said his elbow issue is minor, not of much concern. Henderson said he had seen a team doctor postgame and that preliminary tests on his shoulder were good, but added that he won't know more until Sunday. Henderson and Collins both hope Henderson will be able to manage the issue with a few days off and, likely, medication.
That would be good news for all involved, as the two pitchers have each dealt with major injuries in the past -- Matz underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010, and Henderson had season-ending surgery to repair a frayed labrum and rotator cuff in 2014.
"Just a little tender. Maybe a little fatigue, the stuff you go through during the season," Matz said. "It's been off and on. Once you get fatigue, stuff maybe will show up a little more. But it's not a concern for me, really."
Said Henderson: "So far the strength tests were good, so hopefully [it's] nothing structural; hopefully something that just takes a couple of days. Frustrating, nonetheless."
Matz did pitch effectively on Saturday, holding the Braves to two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts. But he'd thrown 98 pitches after six, and with his elbow tightening up, Collins made the decision to take him out and "get him ready for his next start."
Matz had dealt with soreness in the elbow previously this season, and missed a start for precautionary reasons in May. But he said this tightness was of a lesser degree.
"This is something you just pitch through," he said. "It was just a little tight."
When Henderson entered the game, his fastball velocity was down significantly -- he usually throws in the mid-90s but was only hitting 90-91 -- and he gave up a home run on the first pitch he threw.
"We kind of picked it up when he started the inning and the first pitch was 91," Collins said. "That was kind of an indication something might be amiss."
After the next batter, Brandon Snyder, grounded out after a nine-pitch at-bat, Henderson took himself out of the game. Collins said Henderson told him that when he felt the discomfort, he wanted to back off because he wasn't sure what it was.
Henderson said the shoulder flared up after he'd thrown back-to-back sliders early in the count.
"Actually, I know the fastball velocity was down, but the sliders -- probably just coming across my body a little bit -- was where I felt the discomfort," Henderson said. "Today just didn't feel great in my throwing shoulder."