New York Mets starter Matt Harvey underwent Tommy John surgery in 2013 and missed the entire 2014 season. He returned in 2015 after considerable rest, and rumors suggest the team will take the same approach with Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler underwent the reconstructive elbow procedure last March after an MRI revealed a torn UCL. Wheeler previously said he should be ready to get back on the mound by June or July, which makes sense considering the route the team took with Harvey.
Harvey's procedure took place in October of 2013 and did not pitch in an MLB game until April of 2015. Wheeler's recovery may not be that long, but the Mets have an idea of how they want to handle the young right-hander.
"The Mets feel they learned from the conservative, extended path Matt Harvey took as he recovered successfully from his elbow reconstruction, so they will take their time with Wheeler," writes ESPN's Buster Olney. "By the time the team breaks from camp at the end of March, Wheeler still will not have pitched in any games, in all likelihood. At the very least, the Mets want there to be a 15-month recovery period. At the earliest, Wheeler will pitch in the big leagues sometime around midseason. The depth of the Mets' rotation will allow the team to hold him back and make him take his time."
New York could have brought back Harvey at the end of the 2014 season, but they opted to rest him for longer, which clearly ended up paying dividends since he was able to throw 216 total innings in 2015 (including the postseason).
Wheeler wouldn't have been able to return last season, but if he endured the typical 12-month recovery, he could be ready for the start of the season. However, the Mets are in no rush since they have enough depth in their rotation to make due and probably want to mirror Harvey's recovery since it seemingly worked so well.
Wheeler, 25, has made 49 starts at the MLB level and owns an 18-16 record with a 3.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 271 strikeouts in 285-1/3 innings. He's another crucial aspect of the team's stacked young pitching staff. When he returns the Mets probably at or around the All-Star break, he'll join Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz in the MLB's best rotation.
Manager Terry Collins told MLB.com that Wheeler "looks tremendous" has he continues to rehab in St. Lucie this offseason. Collins said the team brought back Bartolo Colon in order to cope with Wheeler's absence for a portion of 2016.
We'll have to wait a little while to see the Mets' finished product of their young, powerful starting rotation, but it'll be well worth it.
