The Mets announced this morning that Zack Wheeler has a torn UCL and will head to New York to discuss the next steps with team doctors. The most likely scenario for a pitcher with the injury is, of course, Tommy John surgery.
If Wheeler undergoes the procedure, he will join Matt Harvey, Bobby Parnell, Josh Edgin, and Jeremy Hefner as Mets pitchers to do so in the last two seasons. It will also leave a gap in what projected to be a promising starting rotation heading into 2015. Harvey, Wheeler, and 2014 rookie of the year Jacob deGrom were to provide a potent lineup of young starters in support of veterans Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon. It now appears that plans to trade Dillon Gee could be off the table, especially given Sandy Alderson's remarks that Wheeler's elbow concerns were the reason a deal had not been made yet.
Wheeler went 11-11 with a 3.54 ERA with the Mets last year. His best outing was a complete game shutout of the Marlins on June 19, during which he allowed just three hits, walked one, and struck out eight. For his career, the 24-year-old is 18-16 with a 3.50 ERA in 49 starts.