Drew Smith’s season is officially over.
And there’s a good chance his Mets career will be the same way.
The relief pitcher underwent UCL reconstruction and endoscopic augmentation surgery in his right elbow on Friday, the team announced. The surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas.
He will likely miss the rest of this year as well as all of next year.
“That’s not something you want to see,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before Saturday’s game against the Rockies at Citi Field. “… He’s still young. He’ll get back on the field and get back on track. He’s still got a lot of innings left.”
As expected, Smith’s absence is yet another blow to an already stretched relief corps.
Smith, 30, has appeared in 19 games this season with a 3.06 ERA and two saves.
But Smith, the team’s longest-tenured pitcher, said last month that an MRI revealed “fairly significant” damage to the ligaments in his right elbow and that he was expected to require surgery soon.
He sought medical advice again, and Smith officially underwent elbow surgery for the second time in his career.
Smith underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow one season after his MLB debut and missed the 2019 season.
“It’s a cruel game,” Smith said when revealing his injury on June 29, “and sometimes it’s unfair. … I’ve been with the Mets a long time and I love this organization. Obviously I don’t know if my time here is over, but it might be. And it’s just sad to see it end like this.”
The injury not only thins the Mets’ relief corps, but it comes at a tough time for Smith, who is set to become a free agent for the first time in his career after this season.
Smith was originally a third-round pick by the Tigers in the 2015 MLB Draft and was traded to the Rays two years later, but the Mets acquired him from Tampa Bay in 2017 in exchange for Lucas Duda.
In his six seasons with the Mets, Smith compiled a career 3.48 ERA and five saves.
He last pitched against the Cubs on June 23, in a 5-2 win for the team.
He was forced to enter the game in the ninth inning, warming up hastily, after Edwin Diaz was ejected for a sticky play.
After recording two outs, Smith signaled to the trainer to be checked; he remained in the game but allowed a single and was subsequently replaced.
Even after a few days of rest, Smith’s pain did not subside, and an MRI soon revealed the damage.
The Mets’ relief pitchers entered Saturday’s game with a 4.22 ERA and will likely have to replace some longtime mainstays.
“We pray for his full recovery,” Mendoza said. “We support him.”
