New York Mets: David Wright, T.J. Rivera Among Players Set For Surgery
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 24: Michael Conforto #30 of the New York Mets reacts after suffering an injury during his swing of an at-bat during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on August 24, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The hits just keep coming for the New York Mets, as four players are slated for surgery this week. Let’s hope Dr. Nick Riviera isn’t the surgeon.

You couldn’t blame any of the healthy players left on the New York Mets roster if they steadfastly refused to take the field. With the way this team seems to be cursed, it’s only a matter of when—not if—they’ll be struck by the injury bug.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand shared the team’s update on some of its wounded early this morning, and the news isn’t good.

Leading the way is David Wright, who is set to undergo right rotator cuff surgery on Tuesday. It’s just the latest setback for the 34-year-old, who hasn’t played at all in 2017 and has a total of 75 games under his belt since the start of the 2015 season.

At this point, there’s no reason for optimism about his chances for a return in 2018. None of the other surgeries he’s undergone have solved his issues. Why should this be any different?



Not only have the Mets lost valuable utility infielder T.J. Rivera for the rest of this season, but it’s unlikely that we’ll see the scrappy 28-year-old on the field at all next year.

The best-case scenario with Tommy John surgery is a 12-month rehabilitation period, but it’s almost always closer to 18 months before a player is ready to get back on the field.

Even if he was able to get medically cleared a year from now, we’re still talking early September 2018. Minor league regular seasons are over. Where’s he going to play rehab games? Don’t expect to see Rivera again until 2019—assuming the Mets keep him around.



Michael Conforto will finally undergo surgery on the shoulder he freakishly injured late last month against Arizona. Blowing out one’s shoulder on what looked like a routine swing is something that could only happen to the Mets in 2017.

It’s the kind of injury that makes Mets fans throw their hands to the sky and ask the baseball gods “why us?”

While surgery is the best option, it hardly guarantees that Conforto will be able to return to his prior form—or continue his ascension up the ranks as one of MLB’s best young talents.



Last on the operating table is Josh Edgin, the 30-year-old reliever who hasn’t been the same since undergoing Tommy John surgery in early 2015.

While his operation has nothing to do with his arm—it’s his knee that needs to be scoped—it’s just another setback for a guy who, at one point, looked like a valuable piece of the team’s relief corps.

Take a look at Edgin’s numbers before TJ surgery and after.

  • Pre-Surgery: 115 G, 3.20 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 8.6 K/9
  • Post-Surgery: 62 G, 3.99 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 4.6 BB/9, 7.2 K/9

Unlike the rest of his teammates set for surgical procedures this week, Edgin is the one we can count on to be ready to go in spring training next year.

I've been dunked on by Shaq and yelled at by Mickey Mantle. ESNY Editor In Chief. UMass alum. Former National Columnist w/Bleacher Report & former member of NY Knicks Basketball Ops department. Nephew of Rock & Roll Royalty.