Mets likely to place Steven Matz on disabled list with elbow pain, Tommy Milone to start in his place

According to pre-game remarks made by manager Terry Collins, the Mets are likely to place Steven Matz on the disabled list, and Marc Carig reports that Matz has been pitching through pain all year with what has been diagnosed as a nerve issue. Tommy Milone will start in Matz’s place on Tuesday night against the Diamondbacks.

Matz has not had a successful season and has looked particularly lost as of late. July 3 marked the last time that Matz made it into the seventh inning in a start, and he has only struck out more than four—or given up fewer than three runs—once since then. Matz’s season started late because of injury, and he has made only 13 starts thus far for the left-hander from Long Island.

Milone was selected off of waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers on May 7 and made one good and two less-than-stellar starts for the Mets before hitting the disabled list with a left knee sprain on May 24. The veteran left-handed pitcher made five starts for the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies on his rehab assignment, going 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 14 strikeouts, while giving up eight home runs, over 21.2 innings pitched.

Matz’s injury leaves Jacob deGrom as the sole member of the Mets’ projected starting rotation to still be healthy as of late August.