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3 recent examples of the Mets' medical staff catching injury red flags

By Michael Cahill |
Texas Rangers v Baltimore Orioles
Texas Rangers v Baltimore Orioles / Jess Rapfogel/GettyImages
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There are few injuries that have rocked the baseball world more than former New York Met Jacob deGrom needing a second Tommy John surgery. The news broke on Tuesday afternoon, leading to a teary-eyed press conference from Jake and a wide variety of reactions on social media.

The Mets obviously wanted deGrom back and were involved in free agent negotiations until the Rangers went way beyond where the Mets were comfortable in both years and money. They know deGrom’s injury history better than anyone, and it got to the point where the risk wasn’t worth the reward. This isn’t the first or only time they’ve done that recently.

Example #1 of the NY Mets medical staff catching injury red flags: Jacob deGrom

I’ve already discussed the first one, former ace Jacob deGrom. He was pulled from a start in April with wrist soreness, which led to him being put on the injured list with elbow inflammation, and then resulted in the Tommy John announcement. This will be the second time the righty has had this surgery.

This is all too familiar for Mets fans. They’ve seen him leave starts early and get put on the IL for various wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries in 2021 and 2022. This included forearm strain that ended his historic first half of 2021, and a stress reaction that caused him to miss most of 2022. 

I feel bad for Jake, but at the same time, I’m relieved that the Mets’ medical staff told the front office to make conservative extension offers. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and now that includes deGrom’s injuries. We likely won’t see him in a Major League game until 2025, and his Hall of Fame case is all but closed.

Example #2 of the NY Mets medical staff catching injury red flags: Kumar Rocker

Many fans, including myself, were excited after the Mets selected Kumar Rocker with the #10 overall pick in 2021. But a confusing roller coaster of events followed.

The Mets’ medical staff flagged something in his medicals, which made them weary of giving him the above-slot-value contract that he and the front office agreed upon. He also skipped the pre-draft medical imaging at the combine, under the orders of agent Scott Boras. The Mets didn’t sign him, instead opting to receive a compensation pick in 2022.

We later found out that the issue was in his right shoulder. He underwent a “minor” procedure in September of 2021, just a couple of months after the draft.

The Rangers decided to take him #3 overall in 2022, which shocked many in and around the game. About a month ago, it came out that Rocker needed Tommy John surgery. Reports are that it went well, but it will still delay his development significantly.

The Mets’ medical staff was spot on again. Before last year’s draft, I wrote about if the Mets should be having second thoughts about taking Rocker, and I basically said I wasn’t sure because it was too early to tell. Now, I feel very confident that the Mets made the right choice. He was in A+ ball this year, and that’s where he will likely return when he is healthy. Assuming all goes well with his recovery, he won’t step on a mound until 2025 and then he still has to conquer AA and AAA before reaching the Majors. Sounds similar to Matt Allan, and we don’t need two of those guys, so kudos to the medical staff once again.

Example #3 of the NY Mets medical staff catching injury red flags: Carlos Correa

Steve Cohen nearly broke baseball, Twitter, and Christmas this winter when it broke that Carlos Correa received a monstrous 12 year, $315 million contract in the early hours of December 21st. Correa’s deal fell through over medical concerns, just as his prior deal with the Giants did.

Scott Boras insisted he wasn’t injured, which was true then, but he missed some time in May and early June with plantar fasciitis and a muscle strain in his left foot. 

The Mets and Giants were originally concerned with his right foot due to an injury and surgery from a few years ago that resurfaced and caused Correa some pain in September of last year after a slide into second base. However, it is possible that their MRI’s showed the plantar fasciitis in his left foot. 

Correa wound up signing a smaller, shorter deal to return to Minnesota. If he stays healthy, there are options for extra years and more money, but it remains to be seen if he’ll get those well into his 30’s.

It’s worth noting that Brett Baty has posted similar stats to Correa. Baty has an OPS+ of 86 and Correa’s is 87. So the Mets have someone younger, playing similarly now, and still has plenty of time to grow. 

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