Steven Matz has ‘minor’ nerve issue, likely to miss a start

After traveling to New York to be checked out by team doctors, Steven Matz is suffering a ‘minor nerve’ issue in his left forearm, according to Jon Heyman. This is considered the best possible outcome for the Mets, as it revealed no structural damage to Matz’s elbow. The team is hopeful that he will only have to miss one start; it is unknown at this point if Matz will need to hit he Disabled List Injured List.

Matz last appeared in a game on Saturday night as a pinch hitter in the marathon 18-inning game. Over the season, aside from one miserable start in which he didn’t record a single out, Matz has been the Mets’ most consistent starting pitcher. Especially impressive has been his control; in five of his seven starts, Matz has walked one or zero batters.

The Mets have been getting good starting pitching over the past week or so, but with Jason Vargas leaving Sunday’s game early and Matz’s nerve issue, the Mets will likely need to dip into the minors for a start or two over the next few weeks. If only there was still a quality free agent that could be helpful. That would be nice.