After the game versus Miami yesterday, Mets manager Terry Collins told reporters that Mike Pelfrey would likely undergo Tommy John surgery to deal with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. While speaking to reporters, Pelfrey said that there is a 99% chance that he will go through with the season-ending surgery.
This is so upsetting to Pelfrey and to Mets fans because it looked like the homegrown pitcher was on his way to having a great season. In his only three starts this year, Pelfrey struck out 13 batters and walked just four with in 19.2 innings pitched. His ERA was 2.29 and his ground ball rate was up to 53% after last season’s career low 46%.
With this bad news, it’s unclear if Pelfrey will even be with the Mets next season. There’s speculation that the Mets could let him go after the 2012 campaign.
His immediate future is uncertain. His long-term future is murkier still. The team could non-tender Pelfrey in the offseason, rather than offer a contract similar to his $5.68 million deal. If he returns, his contract would likely be laden with incentives, similar to the deal Chris Capuano received last season.
Pelfrey has never had any sort of serious injury in his career. While he hasn’t been spectacular, he has gone out to the mound and given his best effort for every fifth day over the past four seasons. Now the Mets have to figure out a way to fill in Pelfrey’s spot in the rotation. Chris Schwinden has just been recalled from AAA Buffalo and will make the start tonight in Denver. After that, the situation is unclear.
If Schwinden is even mildly successful, he’ll probably earn a handful of additional starts while top prospect Matt Harvey continues to hone his craft in Buffalo. The timing of Harvey’s debut in the majors will depend on his own performance in the minors as well as Schwinden’s effectiveness with the Mets. Hopefully Schwinden can hold down the fort for at least a little while and delay Harvey’s debut until he’s absolutely ready.
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April 27, 2012
