PORT STREET LUCIE — David Peterson thought it was just a normal pain.
But after pitching through much of last season in discomfort and then showing little improvement, the Mets’ left-hander was evaluated and told he had a torn labrum in his left hip.
“Most of last year was kind of on and off,” Peterson said Wednesday at Clover Park. “I felt like my body was falling apart, so I decided to see what was going on. At that point, we were like, we knew everything about what was going on. .”
Peterson underwent surgery in November and will be sidelined for at least the first or two months of the season.
He has started playing catch and exercising, and is relieved that the surgery went well.
Last season was a roller coaster for Peterson, who pitched in 27 games with the club and posted a 5.03 ERA.
After being ineffective early in the season, he was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
After the All-Star break, he gave the Mets a much-needed arm in the rotation and bullpen, posting a respectable 3.65 ERA.
Once healthy, Peterson will join a rotation that includes Tyler Megill, Joey Lucchesi and Jose Buttto at the start of camp.
“A depth piece, especially at the starters, never hurts,” Peterson said. “I think they have that in mind and I’m looking forward to getting healthy as soon as possible and being able to go out there and help the team win.”
The Mets officially announced the signing of Shintaro Fujinami and placed Ronnie Mauricio on the 60-day injured list, making room for the right-hander on the 40-man roster.
Fujinami, who signed a one-year contract worth $3.35 million, is awaiting a visa and will train at Clover Park apart from team activities until the issue is resolved.
Last season, Fujinami, whose main weapon was a fastball that reached 160 mph, pitched for the Athletics and Orioles, moving from the starting rotation to relief. The Mets will use him as a reliever. Overall, he pitched to a 7.18 ERA.
Kodai Chiga and Fujinami were teammates on the 2017 WBC Japan national team. Chiga said stability should help Fujinami this season.
“It was obviously a very dramatic season for him, starting out as a starter in Oakland, then moving to the East Coast, being replaced mid-season and becoming a relief pitcher,” Chiga said through an interpreter. . “I think he will adapt to our team quickly, and as a Japanese player on the same team, I hope we can talk about various things and bring him to a higher level.” ”
