Mets injury update: Blake Taylor needs Tommy John surgery

Left-handed pitcher Blake Taylor is the latest Met to require Tommy John surgery according to Adam Rubin. Taylor, who was acquired in the Ike Davis deal with the Pirates last season along with Zach Thornton, had been pitching with Brooklyn. He last appeared on June 21 and left that start with soreness in his forearm, which is often a precursor to Tommy John surgery.

Taylor was the 51st overall pick in the 2013 draft. His fastball can touch 95 with life, which is good velocity from a lefty, and his curveball is above average per Kiley McDaniel at Fangraphs. His changeup, command, and control do lag behind, though that's not surprising for a young lefty prep arm. Jeffrey Paternostro didn't see stuff quite that impressive last year, but that was likely due to the Mets' adjusting Taylor's delivery and approach to better fit their development plan.

While the surgery will likely sideline Taylor until the 2017 season, he's still just 19 and has plenty of time to deliver on his promise. Remember that Steven Matz missed essentially three years while recovering from Tommy John surgery before shooting up prospect lists last season when he was finally healthy. Taylor probably doesn't have that sort of upside, but the chance for a mid-rotation starter is still there.