A day after being placed on the 10-day injured list, New York Mets starter, Zack Wheeler (shoulder), spoke to the team’s press corps on Tuesday.
Presumably attempting to quell some concerns, the 29-year-old right-hander effectively shrugged off his injury — an impingement in his right shoulder, as per Wheeler — making it clear to reporters that he’s not all that worried.
“I’ve had impingements before so I kinda knew what it was […] It doesn’t really scare me,” Wheeler said (video via DiComo, MLB.com). “We got an MRI and it came back pretty much clean, besides that. I’m just happy it’s nothing structural.”
Wheeler stopped short of setting a timeframe for his potential return to action but noted, “obviously, I want to be back as soon as possible.”
A primary trade chip for first-year general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, Wheeler’s had an up-and-down season. His 4.69 ERA over 19 starts (innings) is a bit of an eyesore, but his 3.66 FIP suggests he’s been better than his earned-run average indicates.
After a lights-out second half in 2018 (1.68 ERA, .179/.237/.253 slash line against, 73 strikeouts, 15 walks over 11 starts; 75 innings), the Mets had high hopes for the former first-round draft pick (sixth overall, San Francisco, 2009; acquired in the Carlos Beltran trade in 2011) in 2019.
While that hasn’t shaken out exactly to the Mets’ or Wheeler’s presumable plan, the trade market for the righty had been moving along swimmingly until this unexpected diagnosis.
Wheeler’s potential, as well as the zenith he reached last year after missing over two full seasons (TJS, 2015), by all accounts, makes him an attractive rental candidate for a contending club. The Red Sox reportedly had interest in the Smyrna, Georgia native’s services, but have since shifted their attention elsewhere.
Whether the return Van Wagenen can recoup for the longtime Mets starter will be affected by this ill-timed IL trip will be realized in due time. As long as Wheeler returns when eligible (July 23), he should be able to squeeze two starts in before the July 31 trade deadline.
We’ll keep you updated with any new information as it becomes available.
