In the past couple of weeks, the Mets have faced significant challenges with their pitching rotation, particularly with injuries, the most pressing being to Griffin Canning and his left ankle.
During a game against the Braves, Canning appeared to struggle after throwing a pitch in the third inning, ultimately collapsing on the field. It looked like he landed awkwardly, which clearly left him in distress.
The Mets have confirmed that he will be examined for a left ankle injury following the game.
Shortstop Nick Allen of the Braves hit a ground ball towards Francisco Lindor, and while attempting to make the play, Canning, unfortunately, seemed to lose his footing and fell to the ground in evident pain, unable to maintain his balance.
Prior to the incident, Canning had allowed just one hit and hit three batters in two innings of work, with Austin Warren just recalled from Triple-A Syracuse ahead of the game.
This injury marks yet another setback for the Mets’ rotation. Earlier in the week, they brought back Franky Montas for his first start after injury issues, but they had already dealt with injuries to Kodai Senga, who has been sidelined with simultaneous right hamstring and elbow problems.
Sean Manaea, unable to pitch this season due to an oblique injury sustained during spring training, reported elbow discomfort following a recent rehab game and received a cortisone shot, but then was reassessed again on Thursday.
At the start of the season, Canning had an impressive 2.47 ERA over his first ten starts, but in his last six outings, it surged to 6.47, raising concerns about his position in the rotation versus a potential move to the bullpen when more pitching options are available. Unfortunately, this latest injury adds yet another complication for the Mets, who were already grappling with pitching decisions—especially considering they entered Thursday with the lowest starting rotation ERA in baseball at 3.13.
