The New York Mets’ longest-tenured pitcher, Drew Smith, was emotional when contemplating a future that could include Tommy John surgery and an eventual end to his time with the team as free agency looms at the end of the season.
On Friday, he said imaging showed “pretty significant” damage in his elbow and “surgery’s on the table” as he awaits a second opinion.
“Just sucks, you know,” Smith said. “It’d be my second (Tommy John surgery). I’ve been with the Mets for a long time. I love this organization. They’ve done a lot for me and obviously going into free agency, it’s a tough time for this to happen and there’s never a good time for it to happen, but this really stings.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said there was nothing definitive yet regarding the plans for Smith, but acknowledged that surgery was definitely on the table. “Not good news,” Mendoza said. “It’s hard, man.”
The Mets placed Smith on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right elbow sprain, a blow for a team already missing closer Edwin Díaz, who is serving a 10-game suspension after being ejected Sunday for having a sticky substance on his hand. Smith warmed up in a hurry after Díaz’s ejection, but Smith said it was likely not the cause of his injury.
“Friday when I pitched I started feeling it a little bit, and then Saturday I was pretty stiff,” he said. “I don’t think the warmup had anything to do with the outcome.”
Smith, 30, missed the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during spring training.
The right-hander made his MLB debut with the Mets in 2018 and has spent his entire career with the organization. He has a 3.06 ERA and two saves in 19 games this season.
“I loved my time here,” he said Friday. “I don’t know if it’s over obviously, but it could be, and it just sucks to see it end like this.”
Will Sammon contributed to this report.
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