Mets injury update: Vic Black diagnosed with herniated disc

On Sunday we got some bad news regarding Vic Black and his recovery from a shoulder injury. The relief pitcher was experiencing soreness in his shoulder and neck during a rehab assignment in Binghamton.

An MRI performed today at the Hospital for Special Surgery revealed a small herniation in a disc on Black's neck. That injury was in turn causing him to experience triceps weakness.

Although the result of the exam is indeed a setback for Black, the club is saying that he's still healthier than his last MRI showed. He's going to undergo therapy for the neck/shoulder ailment and be reexamined in a week. Hopefully that will show more improvement and then Black can resume preparations for his big league return.

Until then, the Mets will rely on the recently promoted Hansel Robles and others to fill the void left by Black, Jerry Blevins, Bobby Parnell, and the suspension of Jenrry Mejia.

After being acquired in a trade with the Pirates back in 2013, Black posted a 2.60 ERA as a rookie last season. Even though he excelled at keeping runs off the board, his walks per nine innings mark of 4.93 gives Black plenty to improve upon when he finally returns to a Mets bullpen that needs reinforcecments.