Zack Wheeler has torn UCL, Tommy John surgery likely
New York Mets pitcher Zack Wheeler is in line to become the next victim of the Tommy John epidemic. An MRI revealed Wheeler is dealing with a torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament, the team announced Monday.
While Tommy John surgery is the most likely outcome, the team will seek a second opinion before making that decision. General manager Sandy Alderson said the result of the MRI was “not surprising.”
Wheeler was scratched from Saturday’s start against the Washington Nationals after complaining of elbow discomfort. Manager Terry Collins said Wheeler had pitched with elbow pain last season, and initially downplayed the injury. Collins also revealed that the club sent Wheeler for two MRIs on his elbow during the offseason, both of which came back “clean as heck.”
If Wheeler were to have the surgery, he would likely miss close to 12 months while recovering. It’s possible that if he undergoes surgery now, he could be back in time for the start of the 2016 season. The team, however, was extremely cautious with Matt Harvey coming off Tommy John, and could opt to put Wheeler on the same extended recovery program. Harvey has stated that he could have pitched late last season, but the team wanted to make sure he was fully rested for the start of 2015. Wheeler could also attempt to rehab the injury, but could still wind up having Tommy John later if that strategy doesn’t work.
While the injury is a significant blow, the Mets have the pieces to weather the storm. Dillon Gee, thought to be a popular trade piece all offseason, will now slot into the rotation. The club also has Rafael Montero, who posted a 4.06 ERA over eight starts last season.
In the minors, both Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz could be intriguing options. Syndergaard came into the season ranked as the 11th best prospect in baseball according to Baseball America, and is considered close to the majors. Matz, ranked 33rd by the publication, isn’t as close, but could still be up this season.
In the wake of the injury, much has already been made of Wheeler’s inefficient workload last year. Wheeler was allowed to exceed 110 pitches in 13 of his 32 starts. While high pitch counts don’t necessarily lead to surgery, Wheeler seemed to be pushed more than the other pitchers in the rotation despite his youth and inexperience. His workload is particularly puzzling after learning that Wheeler had bouts of elbow pain last year.
Despite those issues, the 24-year-old still managed to put up strong numbers. He made 32 starts with the club during his first full season, posting a 3.54 ERA. Wheeler pitched 185 1/3 innings, compiling 187 strikeouts.
Much of the Mets offseason focused around the team trying, and failing, to deal Gee for an offensive piece. With Gee still around, the club can plug him into the rotation until one of their prospects are ready. Losing Wheeler is certainly a shot, but the Mets were well-equipped to handle this type of situation.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
