Francisco Alvarez, Drew Smith, and David Peterson are all making progress. Kodai Senga’s progress is unclear. And it’s going to be a while until the Mets see Brooks Raley again, and even when they do, there’s no guarantee it will be in a Mets uniform. Let’s get some updates…
It’s been 5 weeks since the Mets lost Francisco Alvarez to the injured list with a torn ligament in his left thumb. For the first time since April, Alvarez is scheduled to take batting practice on Friday. Barring any setbacks, this keeps him on track to return in mid-June, which is essentially in line with the original estimate of 6-8 weeks of missed time. As you might remember, Alvarez got off to a hot start to the season, especially relative to the rest of the team. Even though his bat had cooled off a little, he was still a key contributor to the Mets 6-game winning streak, when he got hurt. Since then, the team’s longest winning streak has been 2 games, which they’ve only done once. Even when Alvarez does return, it will likely be in a limited role, at least at first, so as not to risk re-injuring the thumb. And with JD Martinez as the lineup’s regular designated hitter, the Mets are going to have to find opportunities to get Alvarez into the games.
While Alvarez’s injury has certainly contributed to the team’s struggles, he’s not the only one whose absence has been felt. Reliever Drew Smith was off to a solid start for the Mets this year, showing clear signs of improvement over inconsistencies from previous seasons. However, some inflammation in his right shoulder landed him on the injured list, and some recent setbacks due to shoulder soreness have extended his stay. Smith is back on track now and is hopeful that another bullpen sessions and a brief period of minor league rehab will be sufficient in getting him back up with the big club. At this right, it’s possible that he’ll return to the major league mound within the next 2 weeks. The Mets have cycled through several relievers so far this season (17 at last count), so some stability from the longest-tenured Mets pitcher would certainly be welcomed.
Another pitcher whose been around the Mets for a few years, lefty David Peterson, is progressing towards making his 2024 debut. When he does, this will be Peterson’s 5th year in the majors, all with the Mets. While he is yet to fully reach his perceived potential, he has shown enough flashes for Mets fans to realistically hope he can help the ballclub. Last November, Peterson had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. Slightly more than half-a-year later, Peterson is close to wrapping up his minor league rehab stint and will look to rejoin the Mets when he’s fist eligible to return from the 60-Day Injury List.
As much as fans might be looking forward to Peterson’s first pitches of the season, the anticipation around Kodai Senga, last season’s runner-up to the National League Rookie of the Year, is especially high. When the Mets signed Senga out of Japan prior to last season, he was brought in to make his case as one of the strongest #3 starters in the game. Following injuries, underperformance, and eventual trades of the team’s supposed aces, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the dust settled, and Senga was the new leader of the staff. During spring training, the Mets shut Senga down due to some issues in his throwing shoulder, and eventually diagnosed him with a right posterior shoulder capsule strain. While the injury didn’t require surgery, Senga remained shut down for a full month, and has since been taking a deliberate approach to his rehab. Following an April 29th batting practice session, his first live session since the injury, there were some who thought he would be ready by late May. However, that timing has been delayed as Senga works through some mechanics issues, and normal “preseason” tightness. Exactly when Senga will make his season debut is still unclear. There are some who think his first pitch will have to wait until after the All-Star Break. While others, including Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, believe it’s possible that Senga will pitch for the Mets at some point in June. Either way, Senga appears to be focused on getting his mechanics right, while also limiting any risk of re-injury.
Sadly, not all the Mets injury news is optimistic. Southpaw reliever Brooks Raley will miss the rest of the season after it was determined that he has injured the UCL in his left elbow. Raley will need to get the elbow surgically repaired and will likely not pitch again in the majors until sometime in the middle of the 2025 season. What team he’ll be playing for when that happens is currently unclear. The 35-year-old pitcher will likely be a free agent following this season, so his future with the Mets is up in the air.
Almost every team is dealing with at least one significant injury to a key player. The Mets have not used their missing players as an excuse for their subpar performance so far this year. Still, whenever these players return to the team, it should offer a boost to a squad that could certainly use it.
