Mets reliever John Curtiss has season-ending surgery on his right elbow
John Curtiss of the Mets pitches against the Cardinals at Citi Field on June 18. Credit: Jim McIsaac
ATLANTA — Mets reliever John Curtiss had season-ending surgery on his right elbow Tuesday, a development framed by manager Buck Showalter as a relief.
Curtiss had a small fragment of bone or cartilage removed from the joint and is expected to be ready by the start of next season, Showalter said.
Given his history of elbow problems, though, a mere loose body — a not uncommon problem for pitchers — was a fine resolution. The Mets had feared Curtiss’ discomfort might have had something to do with a ligament, especially since he had Tommy John surgery in September 2021.
“We were a little concerned that it might’ve been something to do with the Tommy John, so it actually was good news,” Showalter said. “He should be able to recover from that pretty well.”
In his first season pitching for the Mets, Curtiss snagged a spot in the Opening Day bullpen before bouncing between the majors and minors. He posted a 4.58 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 15 appearances.
Was his elbow bothering him for any period before he landed on the injured list because of it last week?
“Not that he made us aware of,” Showalter said. “He went back to [Triple-A] Syracuse and it was bothering him some down there. But he was fine here as far as I knew.”
Curtiss’ fastball averaged 93.6 mph. That was down from his pre-Tommy John mark of 94.9.
“It would not surprise me if he came back and got to the next level. Sometimes with those surgeries, it’s almost the following year,” Showalter said. “I think there’s another level he can go to. For his sake, I’m hoping. His Tommy John seems to have healed well.
“I know it’s a frustrating year for him. When you see some of the things he’s been able to do, and not be able to get to them, was really frustrating for him. He’d had a couple of outings and you thought, ‘Here he goes.’”
Uncertainty for Marte
Following Starling Marte receiving a second opinion Monday on his injured right groin, Showalter remained cagey regarding what came of it or what Marte’s status is.
“Just progressing,” Showalter said.
What was the second opinion?
“What was it? I can’t tell you that,” he said. “It was very similar to the first one.”
So . . . what was the first opinion?
“Very similar to the second one,” he said.
The Mets initially called Marte’s injury a strain, which Showalter said is “so far” their understanding.
“We’re trying to rule out everything,” he said. “Just making sure we have our arms around what the cause is.”
Personnel news
Righthander Dennis Santana elected free agency. The Mets designated him for assignment Saturday.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
