Jeurys Familia diagnosed with blood clot in right shoulder

The Mets announced today that team doctors have diagnosed closer Jeurys Familia with an arterial clot in his right shoulder. He will travel to St. Louis to visit Dr. Robert Thompson, the same doctor who performed Matt Harvey’s thoracic outlet syndrome last year, for further testing. Surgery is said to be a potential outcome for Familia.

Familia had appeared in 11 games since returning from his suspension for a violation of Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy on April 20. His velocity and strikeout rates were fine, but his control was severely lacking, as he had walked eight batters in the 9.1 innings he had pitched upon his return. A scout had questioned his body language and said he looked “completely disinterested,” though we may now know the real cause of his struggles. His latest appearance on Wednesday was a disaster, blowing a save and yielding four runs to the Giants in the ninth inning. It was his third consecutive appearance.

This is another in a long line of injury issues for the Mets this season, who have already lost Yoenis Cespedes, David Wright, Steven Matz, and Noah Syndergaard for significant time with injuries, and now may lose their closer for an extended period as well. While there have been no roster moves made yet, a stint on the 10-day disabled list is all but guaranteed for Familia. Josh Smoker, who was just sent down to make roster space for Matt Harvey, may be called back up to take his spot.