Metsmerized Online has learned from an organizational source that Mets outfield prospect Wuilmer Becerra underwent season-ending surgery on his right shoulder to repair a partially torn labrum.
For some unknown reason, the Mets front office was trying to keep the news under wraps and it took a few days of investigating and talking to sources to eventually find out why Becerra had not played in a week. They finally placed him on the DL on Tuesday.
Our source told us that Becerra hopes to be ready for spring training next season.
The hushed up injury, that took place in spring training this year, has had a direct impact on the right fielder’s power outage and prevented him from taking the field in all but 13 games this season. He was limited to the designated hitter for a majority of the season and hadn’t played right field since May 31st.
MMO has also learned that Becerra has received at least two cortisone shots over the course of this season for the injury to allow him to keep playing despite it hindering his ability to throw from his outfield position.
The injury has certainly affected Becerra’s power as he’s hit only one home run in 247 at-bats this year, after hitting nine in 449 at-bats last season in a great pitcher’s park. His .312 batting average is a career high and second to his league leading teammate Tomas Nido in the Florida State League.
Overall in 65 games, Becerra hit .312/.341/.393 with 17 doubles, the one home run and 34 runs batted in.
Becerra was ranked as the Mets #7 prospect according to Baseball America’s Top 10 midseason update. He was of course the final piece of the R.A. Dickey trade in which the Mets also got Noah Syndergaard, Travis d’Arnaud and John Buck.
Tough break for the kid, we’ll see him next year.
