Mets reliever likely to require Tommy John surgery

New York Mets relief pitcher Drew Smith.

Mets right-hander Drew Smith says that his ulnar collateral ligament has significant damage and will likely require Tommy John surgery, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on X. The righty is getting a second opinion but seems slated for a lengthy absence.

If surgery is ultimately required, it’s terrible timing for Smith. At the end of this season, he is set for free agency and was putting up some decent numbers. He has made 19 appearances for the Mets this year, allowing 3.06 earned runs per nine innings. His 11.4% walk rate is a bit high, but he’s countered that with a strong 29.1% strikeout rate.

He’s also been playing a key role in the club’s bullpen recently, with two saves and six holds in 2024. He also saved three games last year and got double-digit hold numbers in the previous two seasons. Dating back to the start of 2021, he has a 3.35 ERA in 161 1/3 innings with a 26.2% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate.

That would have been a decent platform to take into free agency if he were healthy and continued pitching well for the next few months. Instead, it seems likely that he’ll be going into the open market while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, the second of his career. He already went under the knife in March 2019, missing that season and most of 2020.

An emotional Smith spoke to reporters, with video relayed on X by SNYtv. Smith himself articulated that there’s never a good time to undergo this procedure. Still, it would be especially frustrating for it to conclude his time with the Mets and hamper him going into his first trip to free agency.

Players in this position will sometimes find two-year deals, with the signing club aware that they are unlikely to get much return on their investment in the first year but hopefully get a bounceback at a discount in the second year. He’s already on the 15-day injured list and will likely be transferred to the 60-day IL once the Mets need his roster spot.

This will give the Mets a bit less bullpen depth for the rest of the year. They’ve already lost Brooks Raley to Tommy John surgery, while Sean Reid-Foley and Shintaro Fujinami are on the injured list. Edwin Díaz is a big question mark as he has struggled in his return after missing all of last year and is currently serving a ten-game sticky stuff suspension.

Despite some challenges, the Mets are just one game back of a playoff spot. If they hang around for the next month, they could perhaps look to upgrade their relief corps at the deadline, though a significant losing streak could also push them into a seller position.

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