Injuries & Moves: Lefty Gage acquired from LA, optioned to Triple-A

July 7th, 2024

LATEST NEWS

July 7: LHP acquired from Dodgers, optioned to Triple-A Syracuse; RHP (right elbow sprain) transferred to 60-day injured list
After making a trade with the Dodgers to acquire the Minor League lefty in exchange for cash considerations, the Mets optioned Gage to Triple-A Syracuse.

The 31-year-old was 1-3 with a 4.29 ERA in 21 innings in relief for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. He last pitched at the big league level for the Astros last season, when he appeared in five games, tallying a 2.70 ERA and eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: Late July
Reid-Foley, who missed the start of this season due to a right shoulder impingement, returned to the IL on June 22 with a similar injury. The move came three days after Reid-Foley's average fastball velocity dipped about 3 mph in an outing against the Rangers.

Reid-Foley received a cortisone injection on June 24 and was scheduled to restart a throwing program two or three days after that, but he continued feeling enough discomfort that he hadn't begun playing catch as of a July 2 update. As such, the Mets no longer expect him back before the All-Star break. (Last updated: July 2)

OF Starling Marte (bone bruise in right knee)
Expected return: Late July or August
Marte, who exited the Mets' June 22 game against the Cubs due to right knee soreness, will miss at least four weeks due to what manager Carlos Mendoza described as a "deep bone bruise." He is due for a checkup on or around July 8, at which point the Mets could clear him to restart baseball activities.

How long that process takes will determine Marte's ultimate return date. (Last updated: June 25)

OF Drew Gilbert (right hamstring strain; No. 2 on Mets' Top 30 Prospects list)
Expected return:
Late July
Gilbert, the top prospect the Mets acquired from the Astros in the Justin Verlander trade last summer, hasn’t played since straining his right hamstring in the second game of an April 6 doubleheader for Triple-A Syracuse. He is on the seven-day Minor League IL but has been deliberate in his rehab process and is unlikely to return until late July. (Last updated: June 23)

INF/OF Jett Williams (right wrist soreness; No. 1 on Mets' Top 30 Prospects list)
Expected return:
August
Toward the end of April, Williams began dealing with a bout of right wrist soreness that has kept him off the field beginning April 21. To treat it, Williams received a cortisone injection in early May, but his soreness persisted enough for doctors to administer a second shot later in the month, which also didn't bring Williams back to full health.

As a result, Williams underwent surgery on June 6. He is expected to miss 8-10 weeks. (Last updated: June 7)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Drew Smith (right elbow sprain)
Expected return: 2025
Smith is likely headed for the second Tommy John surgery of his career after doctors found significant ligament damage in his right elbow. Smith was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 7 after receiving a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister. A free agent after the season, Smith may have thrown his final pitch for the Mets. (Last updated: July 7)

RHP Kodai Senga (right posterior shoulder capsule strain)
Expected return: Late July or early August
Senga began a Minor League rehab assignment on July 3 at High-A Brooklyn, throwing 35 pitches over 2 2/3 scoreless innings and reaching the upper 90s with his fastball. The plan is for him to start every six days in the Minors until he's ready to make his season debut, which puts him on track for a July 9 outing at Triple-A Syracuse. The full rehab process should take the better part of a month, if not the entirety of Senga's 30-day rehab clock.

Diagnosed with a capsule strain in February, Senga advanced to mound work in late April but subsequently began experiencing triceps tightness and nerve inflammation in that area. He has slowly been building back up since then. (Last updated: July 4)

LHP Brooks Raley (left UCL strain)
Expected return: 2025
Raley, a heavily used reliever who was having trouble recovering between outings in mid-April, had Tommy John surgery on May 29. The procedure, which Dr. Keith Meister performed in Arlington, ended his season and possibly his Mets tenure.

Because of a clause in Raley's contract, he is eligible to become a free agent in November despite having fewer than six years of service time. As such, he may have already thrown his final pitch with the Mets. (Last updated: June 30)

RHP (right shoulder strain)
Expected return: Mid-July
Fujinami began a Minor League rehab assignment on June 25, setting him up to return at some point in July. But to return to the Majors, Fujinami must prove not only that he's healthy, but that he can be an effective reliever. In seven outings prior to landing on the injured list, Fujinami allowed 12 runs with 13 walks over six innings. He still has an accessible Minor League option. (Last updated: June 30)

INF (recovery from right knee surgery)
Expected return: Possibly September
Mauricio underwent surgery in early January to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, which he injured during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. A typical return timetable for that operation is eight to 12 months, giving Mauricio an outside chance to rejoin the Mets in September. If not, he'll return in 2025.

As of a late-May update, Mauricio had begun running and hitting. According to vice president of player development Andy Green, "everything is progressing as it should." But the Mets won't have a great read on his ability to play this year until much later in the summer. (Last updated: May 31)