New York Mets left-handed starting pitcher Steven Matz has been bitten by the injury bug yet again.
Newsday’s Marc Carig reported on Monday that the 26-year-old has been diagnosed with a nerve issue in his elbow that has brought pain to the area throughout the 2017 season.
It is possible that he will require surgery to fix the issue, which would bring his difficult year to an end.
Carig noted that fellow Mets starter Jacob deGrom encountered a similar issue with a nerve in his elbow last year and did, in fact, undergo surgery.
This will be the second time that Matz will head to the disabled list. He missed the first two months of the season due to another elbow issue.
His lack of health could provide a reason why he has been pitching so horrendously in 2017.
In 13 starts, Matz is 2-7 with a 6.08 ERA, allowing five or more runs in five of his last eight starts.
Most recently, he lasted just 3.1 innings against the New York Yankees while being tagged for six earned runs on seven hits.
Instead of the Mets addressing Matz’s problem though, the lefty opted to skip bullpen sessions and continue pitching through the pain, sources told Carig.
If that isn’t a red flag to the team’s training staff and management to sideline him during a season that is going nowhere, I’m not sure what else is.
Now the team and training staff that has been under fire for the past few years have to contend with the possibility of losing him for an extended period of time once again. His 2015 and 2016 seasons were cut short due to a torn lat and elbow inflammation.
Matz will join Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler, Seth Lugo and Jeurys Familia as notable pitchers on the disabled list.
