NY Mets injury update: Every player we know will start the year on the IL

RP Drew Smith - Elbow (UCL)

Drew Smith underwent his second Tommy John surgery last summer after doctors found significant damage in his right elbow. Although he is expected to miss the entire season, the Mets in February decided to bring him back on a 1-year, $1 million contract with a club option for 2026, opening up the possibility of him pitching for the team again and making him the longest-tenured Mets pitcher since he arrived in 2017 in the trade that sent Lucas Duda to the Rays.

Last season, Smith pitched to a 3.06 ERA in 19 appearances before he felt pain in his right elbow. On June 27, the Mets placed him on the 15-day IL before an MRI discovered he would need Tommy John surgery to counter what would be a significant injury to his UCL.

Smith has been a constant in the Mets bullpen since 2021, his first full season since his initial Tommy John surgery in 2018. In 156 appearances across four seasons, he had been rock solid with a 3.35 ERA.

The Mets have a pretty good bullpen as-is heading into the season led by Edwin Diaz along with newly acquired AJ Minter, plus guys like Ryne Stanek, Reed Garrett, Jose Butto, and Dedniel Nuñez, but they will remain at a loss without Drew Smith, a solid veteran presence who has been a Met longer than any other pitcher on the team.