The New York Mets could be dealing with another significant injury to one of their young starting pitchers. After having Matt Harvey miss the entire 2014 season because of Tommy John surgery, there seems to be a bit of an issue with Zack Wheeler.
According to Marc Carig of Newsday, Wheeler was experiencing tenderness in his elbow and was scratched from his scheduled start on Friday. General Manager Sandy Alderson mentioned that the right-hander has "dealt with elbow tenderness intermittently" and that the issue "isn't major." Wheeler addressed it as well.
"Every pitcher in here pitches through pain at some point, so it's just a matter of dealing with it and going out there," Wheeler told Carig. "It wasn't affecting me all that much so I could go out there and compete like I wanted to. So, I was going to do it."
However, this is where things get interesting.
Alderson told Matt Ehalt of the Bergen Record that Wheeler received a cortisone shot in his elbow last season, while Wheeler refuted that and said he used anti-inflammatory medication and other treatments. Regardless of what's true and what's not, elbow soreness is nothing to be remiss of, especially because of the unprecedented spike in UCL injuries in recent years.
"Wheeler, 24, has been plagued by two separate issues in recent days," writes Carig. "The first is a blister beneath the nail of his middle finger, a condition that has popped up regularly since high school. It is at most a nuisance, cleared up with time and medication ... The second issue -- recurring soreness in his right elbow -- may raise red flags despite the pitcher's insistence that it is nothing new."
Wheeler said he will be ready for his next start on March 19, but let the worrying commence for both Mets fans and fantasy managers. The right-hander has been successful at the major league level, amassing an 18-16 record with a 3.50 ERA, 1.339 WHIP and 271 strikeouts in 49 starts (285 1/3 innings) over the past two seasons, but elbow tenderness cannot be downplayed in this day and age.
He faced 11 batters in his first spring training start against the Miami Marlins and surrendered six earned runs on two hits, two walks and two hit batters in just 1 2/3 innings. Rotoworld.com noted the 24-year-old is "still rather wild and lacking for finesse."
While this has not been attributed to his elbow concerns, it could be an underlying issue that hasn't entirely presented itself just yet. We'll be keeping an eye on Wheeler and see how he looks and feels in his next spring training start.
It wouldn't be surprising if the team shut him down for a few weeks to let him work on strenghening and resting the elbow. After all, they do have six starters right now and could afford to give Wheeler a break, which could prove to be the prudent decision here.
