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

SP Christian Scott - Elbow (UCL)

Getting Tommy John sucks, doesn't it? Christian Scott, an electric young right-hander who quickly rose through the ranks of the Mets farm system, made his major-league debut last May and made it through just nine starts before an elbow injury took him down on July 21. In September, the 25-year-old received Tommy John surgery, which would take him out through the 2025 season.

Scott broke out in the minors in 2023 after pitching to a 2.57 ERA across three different minor league levels. In 2024 it took him just three starts with Triple-A Syracuse to earn a promotion to the majors. Although he went 0-3 with a 4.56 ERA in the nine starts he saw before his injury, Scott displayed flashes of what made him a great pitcher.

Now, Mets fans will need to wait until 2026 to see him in action. Of course, young pitchers have come back from Tommy John to have excellent careers. Former Met Zack Wheeler, for example, missed both his age-25 and age-26 seasons after getting the surgery in March 2015, and now he's among the league's elite pitchers for the rival Phillies. It's a painful example for Mets fans to swallow, but it goes to show that young, developing pitchers can thrive even after missing extended time. It would be a bit better, however, if Scott had a bit more major league experience before going down.