The Mets suffered yet another serious blow to their starting pitching corps Monday when an MRI exam on lefty Joey Lucchesi revealed a significant tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, an industry source confirmed.
This injury often requires Tommy John surgery to repair.
Lucchesi, whom the Mets acquired from the Padres last offseason, put up a 4.46 ERA in 11 appearances, including eight starts, totaling 38 ⅓ innings in 2021. He had been surging recently, putting up a 1.19 ERA in his last five starts, the most recent one coming Friday night in Washington against the Nationals. The Mets placed him on the injured list Saturday.
SNY first reported the Lucchesi news and added that the 28-year-old will receive a second opinion before making his decision. Tommy John surgery would sideline Lucchesi for the rest of this season and the majority of 2022 as well.
While the Mets have enjoyed elite production from their top three starting pitchers, Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman and Taijuan Walker, sophomore David Peterson has been inconsistent after a strong rookie campaign in 2020, while veterans Carlos Carrasco (torn right hamstring) and Noah Syndergaard (2020 Tommy John surgery), both have experienced setbacks in their attempts to get back on the mound.